In a recent interview with The Archive Of B-Sox, former KISS guitarist Ace Frehley talked about his motivation to keep performing. “I really enjoy performing. I get so much pleasure out of making people happy, and when I perform and I get a good audience response, it makes my day,” he explained.
The rocker also subtly sent a message to his former KISS bandmates about the backing track rumors that have been around for a couple of years. “Plus, for an hour and a half, I give my fans a treat to see me perform live without any backing tracks or any of that nonsense that other people I’ve worked in the past have used. No names [mentioned]. And I just get out there and kick ass.”
“And I’ve got a great band — I’ve got Scot Coogan on drums, Jeremy Asbrock on lead guitar vocals, and Ryan Cook on bass. And the four of us just kick ass. We do new stuff, Frehley’s Comet stuff and we do KISS stuff. It’s a well-rounded show, and I think the fans will be pleasantly surprised,” he added.
Though Frehley didn’t mention any names, it’s clear that he was referring to Paul Stanley and the rumors about him using backing tracks in live shows. In June 2022, a video surfaced showing Stanley stepping away from the microphone briefly during a performance in Antwerp, Belgium. Meanwhile, his vocals continued to play through the PA system.
The video caused many fans to accuse Stanley of lip-syncing. Frehley also made some more comments about the slip earlier and said it was an unfortunate moment. “Paul Stanley has a great voice, true, but I don’t think in the 70s he thought about the longevity of the band because he used to sing songs that were at the peak of his range. They sounded great and Paul was a great frontman,” the rocker explained in a chat with Sonic Perspectives.
He added, “He is only six months younger than me. I know he had an operation in 2009 for [his throat], and from what I understand, it wasn’t successful. It’s unfortunate because it’s his bread and butter and then the whole thing went on over the last several years about KISS using backup tracks, it’s unfortunate.”
The rumors were denied by the band’s manager Doc McGhee. He explained that Stanley does sing at the band’s concerts, but backing tracks are used to ‘enhance’ the overall live experience.