Stanley slams 'elitist' Rock Hall

Paul Stanley has launched another scathing attack on the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, branding the organisation as “elitist”.

The Kiss guitarist and his bandmates were inducted into the Rock Hall last month, but refused to perform at the induction ceremony as organisers wanted only the original line-up to play. Stanley and Gene Simmons wanted the current line-up to perform also.

Now Stanley has hit out again, saying the band were treated “dismissively” from start of the process.

He tells the Christian Science Monitor: “It’s a very elitist club, it dupes the public into believing that there is some credibility to it and that somehow the public has a voice in it, which they don’t. It’s a small group of elitist publishers and writers and record company people who reflect their own prejudices and preferences.

“So it was exactly as I expected and from the very beginning of their announcing our induction, they were arrogant and treated us dismissively. I went because there are many fans who see it as validation and vindication of their championing us and I wouldn’t miss it for the world because it was a celebration of them and for them.”

Stanley previously said Kiss were inducted grudgingly, telling KTLA5 News: “Grudgingly they let us in because their credibility is in doubt when the band with the most gold records in America isn’t in the Hall of Fame. It’s interesting that these executive types, these pencil pushers, decide what they think is credible rock ‘n’ roll. Usually it has to do with a needle in the arm or tattoos all over the body. Being intelligent and surviving for 40 years just seems to go against the grain.”

Nirvana and The E Street band were among the other inductees at April’s ceremony.

Stef wrote close to 5,000 stories during his time as assistant online news editor and later as online news editor between 2014-2016. An accomplished reporter and journalist, Stef has written extensively for a number of UK newspapers and also played bass with UK rock favourites Logan. His favourite bands are Pixies and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Stef left the world of rock'n'roll news behind when he moved to his beloved Canada in 2016, but he started on his next 5000 stories in 2022.