Drones, Fireworks, and Cookies: A Wild Ride with Ace Frehley You Didn’t Know You Needed
Want to hear the entire conversation? Listen here.
Alright, rockers—buckle up! I had the chance to catch up with the one and only Ace Frehley, and let me tell you, the conversation was a ride. From prepping for Christmas to dodging drones and reminiscing about Kiss magic, Ace gave me the lowdown on life, music, and everything in between.
Holiday Cheer… Ace Style
First off, Ace is doing the whole festive vibe right now—decorating the house, munching on homemade cookies (thanks to his daughter), and soaking in the season. But before we started swapping holiday stories, I had to bring up a little piece of Ace history.
“You know what today is, right?” I asked.
He had no idea. Turns out, it was the anniversary of the day he shocked himself on stage.
“That’s something I’d rather forget,” he said, laughing.
But Shock Me, one of his best tracks, came out of that terrifying moment. He said the song wasn’t just about that incident; it’s a mix of life experiences. “It was scary—I could’ve been killed,” Ace shared, recalling how dangerous live performances were before wireless systems. “Musicians actually got electrocuted on stage back in the day. It happened to the guy from Stone the Crows.”
1976 was a wild time, but thankfully, Ace is still rocking hard with us.
Last Gig of the Year
Looking ahead, Ace has a big show coming up—December 29th at Soaring Eagle with Stephen Pearcy of Ratt. If you’re thinking he’d follow that up with a New Year’s Eve gig, think again.
“No way,” Ace said. “New Year’s Eve is amateur night.” And honestly? He’s got a point. “People who don’t usually drink go overboard, and it just leads to bad decisions.”
Wise words from the Spaceman himself.
Ace Versus the Drones
Then we got into something totally random—drones.
Apparently, drones have been buzzing around a reservoir near Ace’s house in New Jersey. “They counted 13 of them,” he said, shaking his head. He even called up the Bergen County D.A., who mentioned the FBI was looking into it.
Here’s the kicker: “You’re not allowed to shoot drones down,” Ace said.
But don’t think he hasn’t considered it. “I thought, ‘Just give me a shotgun, and I’ll take care of it.’”
Classic Ace.
Locked in the Studio
When he’s not worrying about drones, Ace is holed up in his basement studio working on Origins Vol. 3, set to drop in 2025.
“We’re still deciding which songs to include,” he shared, giving a shoutout to Steve Brown, who’s co-producing the record. Ace also mentioned he’s staying busy with his contract—two albums left to go with MNRK Music Group.
Oh, and fun fact: Steve Brown was the guy who tipped Ace off about the drones in the first place.
“Steve invited me to a concert tonight,” Ace said, “but it’s too cold, and I just got over a cold. Gotta keep my voice in shape for the upcoming shows.”
Detroit, Kiss Makeup, and a Wild High School
We had to talk about Detroit—the city that gave Kiss its first big break in the ’70s. “While we were playing smaller venues on the coasts, Detroit embraced us,” Ace said. “A lot of people thought we were from there!”
And who could forget the legendary Cadillac, Michigan, high school event? The whole town, including the mayor, dressed up in Kiss makeup, and they renamed their Main Street to “Kiss Street.”
“It was freezing,” Ace remembered, “but the energy kept us warm.”
Taylor Swift, Fractured Mirror, and Hit Songs
Switching gears, I brought up Taylor Swift. Did you know she once dressed as Ace while opening for Keith Urban?
Ace had heard about it. “Keith’s a fan. He even named a band after one of my songs, Fractured Mirror.”
Speaking of iconic tracks, we couldn’t skip over New York Groove.
“Being from New York, it was a no-brainer,” Ace said. Funny enough, he didn’t even want to record it at first. “I didn’t think it fit the album, but you never know what’s gonna resonate with people.”
Safe to say, it worked out pretty well.
Onstage Explosions and Rock Theatrics
Part of what made Kiss legendary was their over-the-top theatrics—fire, rockets, and Ace’s smoking guitar.
“It fit my Spaceman character,” he explained. “I’ve always loved fireworks. Back in the day, we used actual smoke bombs, but now it’s fog machines. No more fire marshals freaking out!”
Of course, influences like Alice Cooper didn’t hurt. “I saw him on the Billion Dollar Babies tour,” Ace said. The two eventually toured together in 2018, where they bonded over their shared sobriety.
The Rush Connection
Before wrapping up, I had to ask Ace about Rush. Turns out, they toured together in the early days, and man, they had a blast.
“Alex Lifeson used to crack us up with silly stunts backstage,” Ace shared. “They’re just great guys.”
Soaring Into 2025
As we wrapped things up, Ace was all smiles about his Soaring Eagle show on December 29th. “If you’re free, come backstage and say hi,” he said.
And with that, the Spaceman was off—ready to wrap up another year of music, memories, and mayhem.
See you on the road, Ace. Keep rocking. Always.
