The Melvin Zoopers YouTube channel has posted a video of Ace Frehley’s complete November 16 concert at Val Air Ballroom in Des Moines, Iowa. You can watch it now.
In a recent discussion with The Archive Of B-Sox, Ace Frehley was asked about his motivation to continue as a recording artist and performer after so many years. He replied, “I’ve been playing guitar for 60 years. I started when I was 13. I’m 73. Professionally, I’ve been at it for about 60 years. I truly enjoy performing,” he explained. “I get immense satisfaction from making people happy, and when I perform and receive a positive audience response, it makes my day. Additionally, for an hour and a half, I offer my fans the chance to see me perform live without any backing tracks or any of the gimmicks some others I’ve worked with have used. No names mentioned. I simply get out there and give it my all. I’ve got a fantastic band with Scot Coogan on drums, Jeremy Asbrock on lead guitar and vocals, and Ryan Cook on bass.
The four of us put on a great show. We perform new material, FREHLEY’S COMET songs, and KISS tracks. It’s a well-rounded performance, and I believe the fans will be pleasantly surprised.” The original KISS guitarist is currently touring to promote his latest solo album, “10,000 Volts,” which was released in February through MNRK Music Group (formerly eOne Music). The album was produced by Ace and Steve Brown of TRIXTER. Frehley recently announced that his next project will be a third “Origins” volume, featuring songs by artists who influenced him.
He plans to collaborate with Brown again on this project, which is tentatively scheduled for release in 2025. Frehley, who co-founded KISS in 1973, left the band twice, first in 1982 and then again in 2002. When all four original KISS members released solo albums simultaneously in September 1978, Ace’s album was the most successful, featuring the top 20 single “New York Groove.” In 2016, Frehley worked with Paul Stanley on a cover of FREE’s “Fire And Water.” That track was included on Frehley’s covers album “Origins Vol. 1,” released the same year.