KISS' ERIC SINGER Doesn't Understand People Who Continue To Criticize Him For Wearing 'Catman' Makeup

During a brand new interview with "The Cassius Morris Show", KISS drummer Eric Singer, who "portrays" original KISS drummer Peter Criss' character in KISS' live show, was asked how he feels about the fact that some fans continue to criticize him for wearing the "Catman" makeup.

"It's always been a non-issue for me, emotionally or otherwise," Singer said. "And I don't mean that disrespectfully to anybody that it is important to them; that's fine and that's cool. The only thing I don't understand… I shouldn't say 'don't understand'… What I don't get is for those fans either fans or former fans that continually complain not just about that issue, but anything to do with KISS, and continue to say how they're done with the band, and 'I'm over it,' and 'I hate it,' but yet they continue to talk about it non-stop. I just don't understand that point of view or that thought process, because me, myself, when I'm done with something, whether it's a former friend, ex-girlfriend… anything… a band… or product. If I don't like the way a product… If they change the way the product tastes or the way it looks, if I don't like it anymore, guess what?! I go, 'Oh, okay. I don't really care for it anymore.' I stop buying it, I stop supporting it, or I don't listen to it, I don't eat it… Whatever it is, I move on from it. And I go, 'Okay, I move on. I don't like it anymore.' It's like having your favorite restaurant and all of a suddent they change the menu. Or they change the cook and you go, 'Hey, the food doesn't taste the same anymore. I'm not really digging it.' What do you do? Instead of keep going there and going, 'Hey, you know, I don't like that you changed the cook,' and 'I think that you need to get that old cook back,' and 'You need do this.' I don't do that. I just go, 'All right. Something is not right,' or, 'I don't care for it anymore.' And I don't go. And I don't buy it and I don't support it. It's just simple."

He continued: "Now, maybe I'm looking at it too 'black and white,' but, for me, I just don't really fully understand fans, or former fans, that have that point of view. I get the passion part, I get that a band like KISS means a lot to them, or it had a real impact on their life — I get it — but it had a real impact on me too, 'cause guess what?! I play in the band, you know, so of course I care; it means something to me. But I don't understand the people that can't just move on and go do… If you don't like it, or you have a problem with something, respectfully just move on and, great. For those who like it or wanna enjoy it, cool."

Singer added: "I'm not saying that you should just blindly go, 'Oh, I agree with anything the band does and I don't care.' No, I'm not saying that. What I'm saying is, if you really, really have a distaste for it, if you're gonna be mad just because the band is not doing what you want, then go, 'Okay, I'm not into it anymore.' That's what I did my whole life when it came to bands. When a band kind of changed the musical sound or direction and I kind of lost interest in them, I stopped buying the records and I didn't go to the concerts, and like I said, I didn't hate them; I just, 'Okay, well, I'm not really into it anymore.'"

Speaking to Rolling Stone magazine earlier in the year, Eric accused Criss and original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley of being hypocritical in their criticisms of other people wearing their makeup. "This is something that I notice that nobody seems to point out," Singer said. "When I came in to play with the makeup, Ace was in the band, and had no problem with me playing with Peter's makeup while he went onstage and made that KISS money. In fact, he loved it, and he didn't want Peter back in the band. And then go forward the next year, when Ace decided to leave. When we fast forward, all of a sudden they bring Peter back, and you got Tommy Thayer playing guitar wearing the Ace makeup, and all of a sudden, no one minded it was Ace's makeup design. Peter had no problem, did he?"

Pressed about the fact that some people see what he and guitarist Tommy Thayer do in KISS now as almost an impersonation, Singer said: "Here's the thing that's ridiculous. I love when people say that, because the reality is, I'm not impersonating. Because I wear the makeup that he wore? Did they come up with their designs? Yes. Of course. But it's not an extension of their personality. Peter wasn't a cat. Peter Criss was a cat? They had to create a character. You know something? I don't know if he even had a pet cat. Come on, it's ridiculous."

Asked if he tries to play like Peter onstage, Singer replied: "I've always played the way I play. I play like Eric Singer. I don't play like Peter Criss. I don't try to play like Peter Criss. I don't mimic him on stage. Bottom line is, though, am I playing KISS songs? Yes. Am I playing songs that were originally played by Peter, and learning parts that Peter played or originally wrote? Yes, of course. But guess what? I did the same thing when I played in BLACK SABBATH or played with Brian May or played with Alice Cooper."

Photo credit: Musician's Friend