BRUCE KULICK On His Time With KISS: 'I Knew At Some Point It Would Probably End'

During a recent appearance on Count's Kulture, the late-night podcast hosted by Danny "The Count" Koker, former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick once again said he was glad that he was never approached to rejoin the band and wear Ace Frehley's makeup after Frehley left for good back in 2001. Reflecting on his time with KISS, which began in 1984 and continued until the group's 1996 original-lineup reunion tour, Bruce said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "There was always talk [during my time with KISS], like, people wondering if there'd be a reunion [with Ace and original KISS drummer Peter Criss], knowing that Ace and Peter were really... They struggled a bit. Ace always was doing new product and touring [after his exit from KISS], but it wasn't what we were able to do [as KISS]. We were still headlining arena tours [during my time with the band]. They were always trying to repeat their success, which was a hard thing when you know what it was like in '75 and '78. But I helped climb [Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons] out of where they were, and I'm so proud of that. But I knew at some point it would probably end. And what can I say?!"

Referencing the fact that Stanley and Simmons had current KISS members Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer dress up as Frehley's and Criss's respective "Spaceman" and "Catman" personas during the band's final touring and recording years, Kulick said: "Obviously once Ace was not happy and didn't wanna be back in the band anymore, with the huge success, were they gonna ask me to be the Spaceman? And I had to struggle with that. I was happy with [being a member of the legendary American rock band] GRAND FUNK [RAILROAD from 2000 to 2023]. I don't know what I would've done if they'd [asked me to come back to KISS], because I know what it is to have that lifestyle and be in KISS. But in retrospect, they didn't ask, number one, but number two, more importantly, was I really think I would've kind of pooped on my era [of KISS] if I suddenly just became Ace Frehley. And I was never asked to be that, where Tommy does a beautiful job of that. And [he was] loved and hated for it. But he does a beautiful job of it."

Back in October 2020, Bruce defended Paul and Gene for having Tommy and Eric dress up as "Spaceman" and "Catman", telling the "Decades With Joe E. Kramer" podcast: "I don't disagree that it's something to discuss, but I'm very, very clear in my opinion. Look, when [Paul and Gene] first made some [lineup] changes, they didn't want the new drummer, Eric Carr — God bless him — to be the Cat. Eric was a tremendous player and so important in the band, but even he had a real dilemma about his makeup. And at the last minute, instead of being like a Hawk, or whatever the hell they had for him, he became the Fox, and it worked out really great for him. And then, of course, Vinnie [Vincent] was the Ankh.

"I mean, how many characters can you be?" Bruce continued. "And then I think they got blindsided with Ace. First, Peter, all of a sudden, pulls a move or something, the way I've heard the story, where they were on tour and Gene and Paul were just, like, 'Call up Eric [Singer]. We're putting him in the [Catman] outfit.' It was, like, if he was behind the kit, it wouldn't matter. It doesn't matter. Eric Singer does a fantastic Cat. And then by the time, Tommy was always ready to step in. Tommyhad been in a [KISS] tribute band — COLD GIN, it was called — at times, even though, of course, he had his own successful band, BLACK 'N BLUE, back in the '80s, '90s.

"I think Gene and Paul made the right decision, [even though some] fans don't like it," he added. "They're carrying on more with these iconic characters, just like the way you do merchandise and the way the face masks kind of represent something very, very powerful. And they both do it with the right respect."

Kulick also once again said he was glad that he was never approached to rejoin KISS and wear Ace's makeup.

"As much as I miss being in the band, for me, if suddenly, after all those 12 years of what I've done, through 'Asylum', 'Crazy Nights', 'Hot In The Shade' and 'Revenge' and all that body of work, being me, to suddenly, 'All right. Now I'm gonna be the Spaceman,' that would be really weird. It would just be weird. And especially when part of what the Spaceman [does] is rockets out of his guitar… You know what I mean.

"I still know how important [those] non-makeup years were, even though it doesn't have that superhero look… The superhero/comic-book character vibe, let's face it, Gene and Paul do that so well. And I think Eric does it admirably. But he's behind the drum kit, and he's playing his heart out and singing great. So no one has to be that critical. 'Oh, he's not acting like the real Cat.' Tommy probably has the biggest burden, in a sense, but I think he does it well. He plays Ace's riffs super clean and does all the tricks. And he's really kind to the fans, and he's good team player for those guys, besides being, like I said, a talented musician."

This past April, Kulick underwent "heart valve surgery" and spent eight days in the hospital. He later said that the procedure was necessitated by "a birth defect in my aortic valve (bicuspid) becoming nearly 'critical' from severe stenosis. Taking care of the valve before a life-threatening heart event happens in order to live long was the right choice," he explained. "Ignoring it would have been foolish and dangerous."

Kulick — who in 2024 launched his own brand to offer period-correct guitars inspired by his KISS era — played on six KISS studio albums and two live records.

Bruce performed at last year's "KISS Kruise: Landlocked In Vegas" weekend-long event at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas on November 14-16. He is scheduled to play at the 2026 edition of the same event.

Kulick did not take part in either of KISS's farewell tours, in 2000-2001, and 2019-2023. Thayer has been KISS's guitarist since 2002.

In addition to his years in KISS, Bruce toured or recorded with Meat Loaf, Billy Squier, Michael Bolton, AVANTASIA, LORDI, UNION and many others. He frequently makes appearances at guitar shows, clinics and fan autograph events.