Watch: GENE SIMMONS And His Solo Band Perform ACE FREHLEY-Written Songs 'Strange Ways' And 'Rocket Ride' Live For First Time Ever

KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons and his solo band, GENE SIMMONS BAND, performed two KISS songs written by Ace Frehley for the first time ever during their concert Friday night (February 20) at L'Auberge Casino Resort Lake Charles in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

The band — consisting of Gene on bass and vocals, Jason Walker on guitar and vocals, Brian Tichy on drums and vocals and Brent Woods on guitar — played "Strange Ways" and "Rocket Ride" as part of the 14-song set, which marked GENE SIMMONS BAND's first show of 2026.

"Strange Ways" was sung by KISS drummer Peter Criss on the band's 1974 album "Hotter Than Hell".

A previously unreleased recording of Simmons playing "Strange Ways" during a July 20, 1975 rehearsal in Davenport, Iowa was included on last year's 50th-anniversary super deluxe edition of "Alive!", KISS's breakthrough double live album.

Ace previously said about "Strange Ways": "I love 'Strange Ways'. I just came up with the riff. It was one of those inspired, heavy tunes. I didn't feel comfortable as a singer at that point.

"Gene and Paul [Stanley, KISS guitarist/vocalist] are very intimidating people," he continued. "A lot of the time they tend to make people feel inadequate. It took me a while to get over my feeling of inadequacy. I didn't think I was as good a singer as I am. It took me a while to come out of my shell.

"Whenever I wrote songs in the early days, I'd always ask Peter to sing so he would get some of the spotlight," Frehley added. "I wasn't that secure with myself as a singer around Gene, Paul and Peter. They were all confident lead singers, and even though I knew I could sing, they didn't encourage it, so, I just kind of laid back.

"'Strange Ways' was never performed live by KISS," Ace noted. "I had forgotten just how heavy it was. One of my favorite guitar solos is the one on 'Strange Ways'. It was done in one take. I just closed my eyes and that's what came out. Usually, I record in the control room, but for that solo I went out and stood in front of the amp and got that wild feedback bend at the beginning. It sounded like a dinosaur."

Peter said about "Strange Ways": "Ace wrote it and I sang it. It was really different for me, really heavy and new. I'd never sung anything like it. It wasn't exactly R&B. It was a great challenge to me and I loved it."

"Rocket Ride", written by Frehley and KISS associate Sean Delaney, was originally included on the band's "Alive II" album.

Ace later said that he and Delaney initially wrote "Rocket Ride" with the intention of including it on his solo album. But it ended up on "Alive II" instead.

"That's the first time I was satisfied with my vocal projection," Ace explained in the "Behind The Mask" book. "More than that, 'Rocket Ride' was the song that really gave me confidence that I could sing and really project a song."

GENE SIMMONS BAND's setlist for the L'Auberge Casino Resort Lake Charles concert was as follows:

01. Deuce (KISS song)
02. Shout It Out Loud (KISS song)
03. War Machine (KISS song)
04. I (KISS song)
05. Domino (KISS song)
06. Parasite (KISS song)
07. Strange Ways (KISS song) (first time played live by Gene Simmons)
08. Charisma (KISS song)
09. Rocket Ride (KISS song) (first time played live by Gene Simmons)
10. Cold Gin (KISS song)
11. Guitar & Drum Solo
12. I Love It Loud (KISS song)
13. Calling Dr. Love (KISS song)
14. Let Me Go, Rock 'N' Roll (KISS song)
15. Rock And Roll All Nite (KISS song)

Last December, Gene said that he was sorry for suggesting that Ace's death may have been caused by "bad decisions".

Simmons made headlines after he alleged that Frehley's "lifestyle" contributed to a fall at the guitarist's New Jersey home, which ultimately caused his October 16, 2025 death at age 74. A couple of days later, Gene apologized, writing on X: "On reflection, I was wrong for using the words I used. I humbly apologize. My hand to God I didn't intend to hurt Ace or his legacy but upon rereading my words, I see how it hurt everyone. Again, I apologize. I've always loved Ace. Always."

The founding KISS guitarist died of blunt-trauma injuries to his head due to a fall, the Morris County Medical Examiner confirmed in a report obtained. The manner of death was ruled an accident.

According to the report, a CT scan of Frehley's head revealed multiple contusions, bone fractures to the back of his skull, hemorrhages, and a subdural hematoma (the type of bleeding that occurs in a person's brain after a head injury). Additional bruises were found on the musician's hip, thigh, and abdomen. The report also noted that Frehley had suffered a stroke.

A separate toxicology report on Frehley's blood at the time of his death has not yet been released.

Frehley, whose real name was Paul Daniel Frehley, passed away peacefully surrounded by family in Morristown, New Jersey. He reportedly died nearly two weeks after a second fall at his home, which led to him being placed on life support after a brain bleed. The musician's family made the heartbreaking decision to take him off the ventilator.

Ace co-founded KISS with Paul, Gene and Peter in New York City in 1973. Frehley appeared on KISS's first nine albums, and returned for the band's 1998 reunion album, "Psycho Circus", only to leave again. He was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame with the rest of KISS's original lineup in 2014.

Frehley first left KISS in 1982. He rejoined in 1996 and parted ways with the band once again in 2002 after the conclusion of KISS's first "farewell tour." Since his departure, guitarist Tommy Thayer had assumed the role of the Spaceman.

Frehley had a rocky relationship with Simmons and Stanley whom he blamed for exacerbating his abuse of drugs and alcohol because they allegedly minimized his contributions to KISS.

In 2019, Simmons told Guitar World that Frehley and Criss had exited KISS three times, in part because they "weren't carrying their load" and weren't dependable onstage. In response, Frehley called Simmons and Stanley "control freaks, untrustworthy and… too difficult to work with."