ERIC SINGER Didn't Think He Would Ever Play With KISS Again After Original-Lineup Reunion In 1996

Podcast Rock City Live has uploaded video of KISS drummer Eric Singer's entire April 12 question-and-answer session at the Indy KISS Fan Expo at the Embassy Suites by Hilton in Indianapolis, Indiana. You can now watch it below.

Asked if he ever thought he would play with KISS again when the first reunion of the band's original lineup took place in 1996, Eric replied (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "No. Well, you don't know what in life's gonna happen, so I didn't think so. And I didn't do anything that whole year, in '96. I just stayed home. [KISS leaders] Gene [Simmons] and Paul [Stanley] were nice enough — they actually paid Bruce [Kulick, then-KISS guitarist] and I [and they] kept on on a retainer for that whole year. 'Cause they didn't know if their tour was gonna be successful or what was gonna happen. So they just thought, 'Okay, let's just go and see what happens. And if it doesn't work out with the reunion, we still have a band and we'll just continue on.' I'm guessing that was their mindset. So they were nice enough to do that. They didn't have to. And in fact, I was offered to play with [MÖTLEY CRÜE singer] Vince Neil to join his solo band that summer, but I didn't do it because I thought, 'I don't know what's gonna happen with KISS, so I should just kind of bide my time.'"

Singer continued: "At that time, rock and roll and the kind of music most of us probably like was not really all that popular. Grunge took over by '92. I mean, I played with Alice Cooper '90 and '91. After '91 Alice didn't tour until 1997. He didn't tour for six years 'cause there was no market for it. Eventually things kind of turned around. And then Alice asked me to come back and play with him in '98. Then I toured with [QUEEN guitarist] Brian May that year too. And then, all of a sudden, they called me up to come back and play with KISS. And I was playing with Alice at the time. From '98 to 2008, I still played with Alice and I was doing both gigs for a while. But then KISS actually got busy and wound up touring more starting in 2008. And that was it. Then we were off and running until the end of the touring in 2023."

Three decades ago, KISS did a full-on reunion with the original lineup that included drummer Peter Criss and guitarist Ace Frehley.

After Criss returned and left again, Singer rejoined the lineup in 2004.

The most recent KISS lineup, as it has been since Singer returned, consisted of Stanley, Simmons, Singer and former BLACK 'N BLUE guitarist Tommy Thayer, whom Singer has known since the mid-1980s.

Back in 2015, Singer was asked by MichaelCavacini.com what it was like coming back to the band as the replacement for Criss during the "farewell tour." He said: "At that point, I was still playing with Alice Cooper. When they did the reunion tour, I didn't have much contact with anyone in the band for a while. It was hugely successful, and I was back playing with Alice Cooper. Then Paul called me up and told me that they wanted me to come tour with them in Australia and Japan. He told me they were making a change because things weren't working out with Peter. I was actually out of the country when I got the call. My lawyer contacted me, saying KISS reached out to him and that they wanted me in the band. I didn't know what was going on at the time regarding the makeup. My lawyer said, 'They're going to have you wear makeup, but they're not sure what they're going to do yet.' By the time I got back, they decided they wanted me to wear the Catman makeup."

He continued: "I was back in the band for a little over a year, and then Ace decided he didn't want to be in the band. He was becoming less and less reliable. Every time we tried to do something, it would become difficult because we wouldn't know if he'd make it or not. One minute he'd say, 'Yes.' Then the next minute he'd say, 'No.'

"I remember that summer, the summer of 2001, when I first came back, our manager booked a European tour three times and had to cancel it each time. The reason why is because Ace would commit to it and then change his mind."

Singer added: "Just so I'm clear, the band did everything in their power to keep Ace in KISS. But he's the one that made it more and more difficult. And eventually, we did a show, a private party, and Ace didn't want to show up in L.A. to do rehearsals. We had already committed to doing the show, so we had Tommy Thayer step in and do the show. And that was it. From that point on, Tommy was the guitar player."

Eric also talked about the fact that some KISS fans still couldn't accept him and Thayer as members of the band because they were wearing the classic makeup that Ace and Peter used to wear.

"If a band can't continue on because somebody quits, can't play anymore, whatever the reason is, that shouldn't prevent the remaining members from continuing on if that's what they want to do," Eric said. "STYX is a good example. I'm really good friends with Ricky Phillips, their bass player. I saw STYX in their heyday back in the '70s, but I think they're every bit as good now, if not better. The same thing applies to FOREIGNER. They're another great band that no longer features all of the classic or original members, but they sound fantastic. To me, that's what it's all about. As long as the members of the band are doing the music justice and paying respect to its origins, then I'm fine with it. That's what it's all about. If a band gets new members and they aren't very good, then you have the right to complain."

He continued: "The way people look at the makeup situation is interesting to me. I don't play any different in makeup than I do out of makeup, yet people perceive that there is a difference. I do have a more toned-down approach than I did when I first joined the band, but that's because I believe that's what the music dictates and needs."

Eric went on to say: "I've heard people say that I was told to sing, play and act like Peter Criss. That's completely ridiculous. I've never once been told to do that. Never. So, when people say that, it's totally ridiculous. Look at any of the shows I've done since being in the band after Peter. I don't play anything like Peter Criss."