The Bands Reuniun Tour

The beginning of the "Bad Boys Tour" was followed a few months later by Frehley and Criss both performing with Kiss for their August 9, 1995 appearance on MTV Unplugged. It marked the first time the original members of Kiss had performed in public since the end of the Dynasty tour in 1979. Fan response was overwhelming, and rumors of a full-fledged reunion circulated. By December, the paperwork for the reunion was completed, although no official announcement was made at the time. [5]
On February 28, 1996, the original members of Kiss appeared (in makeup and costumes) at the Grammy Awards, to a standing ovation. On April 16, Kiss officially announced their reunion and plans for a tour during a press conference aboard the USS Intrepid. The Alive/Worldwide Tour kicked off on June 28 at Tiger Stadium in Detroit, Michigan. The tour lasted through July 1997 and was a financial windfall for the group, earning $43.6 million.[6]
The reunited Kiss issued Psycho Circus in September 1998. Frehley's lone song on the album, "Into the Void," was performed during the subsequent tour. The Psycho Circus tour commenced on November 12, 1998 (a Halloween show on October 31 at Dodger Stadium had several songs simulcast live on FOX's Mad TV), and was followed by the "Farewell Tour" beginning in March 2000. Frehley, expecting that the tour would be Kiss's last, chose not to remain in the band when it ended. His last performance with Kiss was on February 24, 2002, during the closing ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Frehley was soon replaced by Tommy Thayer, former Black 'n Blue guitarist. Thayer previously served in a variety of roles for Kiss and had helped Frehley relearn some of his guitar parts for the Alive/Worldwide Tour. Since Kiss now owned the copyright to Frehley's makeup and costume designs, they placed Thayer on lead guitar as the "Spaceman", a move that generated controversy and anger among the Frehley fan base. Frehley fans argued that since drummer Eric Carr (who replaced Peter Criss in 1980) was given his own character, as was Vinnie Vincent when he took Frehley's slot in 1982, the only reason Kiss made Thayer a Frehley stand-in was to cut costs on manufacturing new merchandise and as an insult to Frehley for leaving. However, Eric Singer plays as "The Cat" in Peter Criss' make-up and it is equally likely that these "substitutes" are simply aimed at appearing to retain the "classic" line-up, which is a big commercial draw. Furthermore, the images of the band on merchandising are with Thayer and Singer. Nonetheless, the move rankled with fans.
Frehley appeared with Rob Zombie, Slash, Tommy Lee, Scott Ian, and Gilby Clarke on VH-1's Rock Honors special on May 31, 2006. This supergroup played Kiss's "God of Thunder." He has also attempted acting (not counting a walk-on in Millennium or his part in Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park), making his debut in 2005 in Remedy, an independent crime drama with Sopranos stars Frank Vincent and Vincent Pastore, playing a drug dealer with a heart named Johnny. In July 2007, a Dunkin' Donuts television commercial directed by Zach Braff began airing that featured Frehley playing in his Kiss makeup and costume.[7]
Frehley remains the only original KISS band member not inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame.
Frehley stated in a recent interview with radio personality Eddie Trunk that he will release his new solo album in early 2008. He also played his first solo show in 6 years on October 29, 2007 at The Chance Theater in Poughkeepsie, NY.
Ace has also been confirmed to play Download Festival 08 (June 13, 2008) on the same day as KISS, who are headlining. However, for reasons unknown, Frehley has been moved to the Saturday (headlined by The Offspring), whilst KISS will remain as headliners for the Friday. He said, "I am very excited to have been asked to play at a festival like this for my English fans and I'm really looking forward to the day."[8]
Frehley's recent Rocket Ride World Tour has seen him do a series of dates in North America and Europe with a substance-free line up, consisting of Scot Coogan (ex-Brides of Destruction) on drums, Anthony Esposito (ex-Lynch Mob, also a well-known producer & engineer) and Derrek Hawkins (ex-Stabbing Westward) on second guitar. Numerous fan-filmed videos of the tour have been posted on YouTube.
Ace toured in the summer of 2008. Here is a clip from his sound check at the House of Blues in Dallas. [1]
Frehley also made an appearance (and played one of his own songs) at a Pearl Jam concert at Madison Square Garden on June 25, 2008 during an extended encore performance.