KISS’ Tommy Thayer not bothered with people who don’t like him performing as ‘Spaceman’
KISS’ Tommy Thayer not bothered with people who don’t like him performing as ‘Spaceman’
KISS guitarist Tommy Thayer was interviewed by Michael Cavacini a few months ago and his interview has now been published today by The Aquarian Weekly.
Photo by Christopher Carroll Rock Photography
Thayer was asked how he deals with the ongoing onslaught of hate from a small segment of people who don’t like him wearing and performing in the KISS “Spaceman” make-up and attire made famous by guitarist Ace Frehley. Thayer replied: “It really doesn’t bother me. You can’t be fooled by a handful people that go on websites and complain. Some people complain about everything, really, not just who’s the guitar player. In that context, it doesn’t really mean anything to me. If anything, I chuckle and smile when I hear things like that. It really has nothing to do with what’s happening in reality. Put it this way: KISS continues to go out and play big shows and be the phenomenon that it is. I give more merit to that fact, than what a few oddballs say online. I don’t really care.”
In terms of what’s been the most difficult thing about being in KISS, Thayer stated: “It’s never been difficult. It was a challenge coming into the band and fill the shoes of somebody that was that popular to begin with and played such an important role in the band. A lot of eyes were on me. There’s really never the perfect scenario, it’s kind of like damned if you do and damned if you don’t. You should be more original; you should play it more like the other guy. Then the moment you cop the parts or the style of the previous guy, people start to say, “Oh, he’s just a copycat.” With some people you just can’t win. The counter to that is that 99% of the people enjoy it and they let you know that. The guys in the band have been nothing but positive and supportive from day one. That’s never a question. Sometimes it’s a challenge to deal with people’s multiple points of view, but it doesn’t make a difference. You just go out there and kick some ass.”
You can read the rest of the interview by Cavacini at The Aquarium Weekly.