During a recent appearance on producer Rick Rubin’s “Tetragrammaton” podcast, KISS bassist and co-vocalist Gene Simmons reflected on the band’s final live shows, held December 1 and 2, 2023, at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
The choice of venue was no accident.
“We took a look at this idea of we were born in New York City, 10 East 23rd Street, 10 blocks down — 10 — from 33rd Street, Madison Square Garden… Let’s do it at New York and only do one show and film it and all that stuff, and invite our friends. It’ll be like a celebration.”
Originally intended as a one-night send-off, the farewell became a two-night spectacle after their management and film crew convinced them to expand.
KISS Took Over NYC… Literally
Simmons described a citywide KISS takeover:
“The Empire State Building lit up with our faces on it. There were 800 New York City cabs wrapped around with KISS imagery… pizza boxes, subway tickets, pop-up shops — basically, if you started a new religion and called it Kisstianity, that’s what was going on.”
He noted that fans flew in from across the globe — many dressed in full KISS makeup as early as daytime — just to be part of the historic goodbye.
“We just couldn’t believe it… we’d be going to the Empire State Building… and on the way there we were seeing KISS people on the streets dressing early to go to the show.”
On Stage: A Mix of Pride and Sadness
When asked about how it felt performing for the last time, Simmons opened up about the wave of emotions.
“Very emotional. Pride, but also a little sad… People who have been married… when it was real love… there’s a sadness there.”
He compared the ending of KISS to a kind of divorce — filled with both honor and heartbreak.
Simmons Gets Candid About Ace and Peter
What struck most fans was Simmons’ raw honesty about original members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, and their painful separation from the band.
“I’m still sad about Ace and Peter, who even today can’t enjoy the fruits of their labor. They were equally as important… in the formation of the band and those first few years — there’s no question about it.”
Simmons recalled how internal struggles led to the members parting ways:
“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… walked out of KISS.”
He also recalled a haunting statement from Ace:
“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… And then he said, ‘You watch. I’m gonna sell 10 million records.’”
Simmons admitted he was left speechless, not knowing how to respond.
