On a recent episode of producer Rick Rubin’s Tetragrammaton podcast, Kiss bassist Gene Simmons revisited the band’s final performance, which took place on December 2, 2023, at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
As the curtain fell on an era that defined rock history, Simmons reflected on the bittersweet moment, particularly the absence of original members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss. Despite the band’s complicated past, Simmons openly shared that he’s “still sad” the two rock legends couldn’t be part of the iconic farewell performance.
Asked if knowing it was Kiss’s last concert affected his emotions on stage, Gene replied (as transcribed by Blabbermouth): “Very emotional. Pride, but also a little sad because… People who have been married, I’m guessing, a few times, but remember when it was real love and that magic of the thing, if it doesn’t last, there’s a sadness there. Sometimes it’s drugs and alcohol, sometimes they just go apart. But when it was great, it’s sad because not everybody survives life.
“And I’m still sad about Ace [Frehley, original KISS guitarist] and Peter [Criss, original Kiss drummer], who even today can’t enjoy the fruits of their labor,” he added. “They were equally as important as Paul [Stanley] and myself in the formation of the band and those first few years — there’s no question about it. It was a four-wheel-drive vehicle. And then the air started coming out of two of the wheels to the point where — as a matter of fact, when it was time for Peter to go, Ace voted, ‘No, he’s gotta go. He can’t play the drums anymore.’ And then Ace, using his words, walked out of Kiss. Even though we said, ‘You can stay in Kiss. Have a solo career. We don’t want a penny of it. Have your cake and eat it too.’ And he said to my face, ‘No, I can’t stay in the band. He said it in print, ‘If I do another tour, I’m gonna kill myself.’ That’s verbatim. And I didn’t understand what that meant. I didn’t wanna get into it. And then he said, ‘You watch. I’m gonna sell 10 million records.’ I can’t respond to that. I don’t know what that meant. Logically — stay in the band, have your cake and eat it too.”
During a conversation with Mark Strigl of SiriusXM‘s Ozzy’s Boneyard back in 2023, Frehley denied being contacted for the band’s final show, stating that Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons had made false claims to sell tickets.
When asked if there was any chance he might appear at the band’s final show, Ace responded at the time: “No. You know what it is? Those guys use my name and Peter‘s name months ago. They said that they invited us to perform at that show. I never got a phone call. Peter never got a phone call. They just said that to sell tickets. And recently, Paul Stanley has made negative statements about me and Peter. For example, I think the last negative statement he said, when people asked him, ‘Is Peter and Ace gonna perform at the Garden?’ he said, oh, we would mar the show if we got up and play — which is really insulting.”
Kiss has unveiled details for an exclusive Kiss Army Storms Vegas experience, scheduled for November 14–16 at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. During this one-of-a-kind event, the band will present a special “unmasked” electric performance, featuring Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, and lead guitarist Tommy Thayer, offering fans a rare opportunity to witness the rock icons in a more intimate, up-close setting.
