During a new chat with Outlaw magazine, Paul Stanley looked back to Kiss' early days and his admiration for one of the band's favorite opening acts, Rush — along with its late drummer Neil Peart. Stanley recalled, “The first time Rush opened for us, they had their original drummer, John Rutsey, along with Geddy (Lee) and Alex (Lifeson). But when Neil joined, overnight it became a different band. Suddenly, they had this incredible musician backing Geddy and Alex. There was only one Rush and they perfected a style and walked a road that nobody else had been on. I saw that band in its infancy and they went on to build an incredible legacy.”
Stanley went on to talk about Kiss' ongoing “End Of The Road Tour”: “It really is a massive experience emotionally — it’s life-affirming and a tour to celebrate everything we’ve done together. We’ve all gone through this together in one form or another, so for people who have been supporting us for a long time, it kind of validates why they’ve been connected. And for new people, it’s a chance to go, 'Gee, I wish, I’d joined the party earlier!'”
He went on to say, “I believe Gene (Simmons) and I are very, very connected and thankful for each other and for what we have. We’ve accomplished something incredible and then maintained it. We haven’t survived — we’ve thrived! This is an amazing time for us. I’ve also known Eric (Singer) for 28 years and played with him for 25. Tommy (Thayer) has been in the band 17 years. It really is all for one and one for all!”
