Slash, the guitarist for Guns N’ Roses, has always been extremely enthusiastic about the bands he enjoys listening to. He has also acknowledged a number of well-known people as influences throughout his career. On the other hand, when he feels compelled, the hard rock icon is not above criticising other musicians. International rock titans Kiss were the first to discover this.
The top hat-wearing axeman made it clear that he is not a fan of Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons’ band, despite obvious similarities between Slash’s work with Guns N’ Roses and Kiss. Particularly their stadium-filling stadium rock, which is frequently guilty of delivering a heavy scent of cheese through the speakers.
To be honest, Kiss has never been for everyone. In 1990, Slash recalled the day he and former Guns N’ Roses drummer Steven Adler made the decision to form a band, in an interview with Musician. He clarified that one day they were at Adler’s house, where an amplifier and guitar were present. After disclosing that his friend listened to some Kiss records, Slash mentioned, “who I always hated”. Subsequently, he recalled that they both started to play loud rock music and decided to pursue music as a career.
Later on, Slash’s animosity towards Kiss would directly clash with Paul Stanley, the frontman of the New York band. “The Starchild” asserted this in his memoir Face the Music: A Life Exposed, published in 2014. Due to Slash’s alleged offensive remarks, Stanley revealed that he and Slash did not speak for almost twenty years. That being said, Stanley did mention that in 2006, they managed to move past their differences.
Before the band recorded their 1987 debut album, Appetite for Destruction, the Kiss frontman wrote in his book that he witnessed Guns N’ Roses perform two shows in Los Angeles. Stanley claimed that shortly after the performances, Slash made derogatory comments about him in public, calling them “stupendous.” Stanley later said that Slash had unexpectedly asked him to assist with the sound after Guns N’ Roses had expressed dissatisfaction with the sound at the second show. The alleged insult against Stanley happened after the show.
“As soon as I joined the band, I heard a lot of stories Slash said behind my back”. Stanley penned this. “He made fun of my clothes, called me gay. And said other things aimed at establishing his rock star status at my expense. Years before his top hat, shades, and hanging cigarette turned into a cartoon outfit that he would use to con artists like the best of us for decades, this happened.
But when Slash called a few months later, demanding free guitars, the Kiss man insisted he had the last word. “After you went around saying all that sht about me behind my back, you want me to help you get guitars? Stanley reportedly told his junior colleague. You know, one thing you’ll have to get used to is keeping your filthy laundry hidden from prying eyes. Nice to have met you. Go fuk yourself”.
Not surprisingly, Slash answered Stanley’s venomous accusations. Insisting he hadn’t read the autobiography, he shared his version of events with Germany’s Rock Hard in 2014. He acknowledged that he had said “something derogatory” about the Kiss frontman in the media. Even though he did not elaborate on what he said.
The guitarist stated, “he had come around to produce Guns N’ Roses way back in the day, before we actually made the first record”. And finally, we made the decision that we didn’t To be honest, we never really wanted to collaborate with him. However, we managed to convince him to change his mind since he was [drummer] Steven Adler’s idol.
Slash went on, “I’d said something negative about him in an interview I did for the Calendar in the LA Times. “And then, months later, he realised that he had a deal with B.C. Rich. I asked him if he could set me up with some B.C. Riches because I was trying to find a guitar to record the album Appetite.”
Slash went on: “He made a comment about him that was something like, You shouldn’t air your dirty laundry in public. So, no, I’m not going to assist you”. And I thought, “Okay.”
“We sort of let bygones be bygones,” the Guns N’ Roses legend continued, referring to the two’s mediocre makeup at the 2006 VH1 Kiss Rock Honours. We are therefore essentially cool now.
