Gene Simmons vs. Ace Frehley: Who’s Got the Better Set List?

Although
they’ve
followed
very
different
career
paths
over
the
past
four
decades,
founding

Kiss
stars

Gene
Simmons
and

Ace
Frehley
have
used
remarkably
similar
set
list
formulas
on
their
recent
solo
tours.

Since

first
leaving
Kiss
in
the
early ’80s,
Frehley
has
toured
steadily
and
released
nine
studio
albums.
(He
also
returned
to
Kiss
for
a
five-year
reunion
in
1996.)
Simmons
remained
busy
with
Kiss
until
their

2023
retirement
from
touring,
but
began
playing
occasional
solo
tours
in
2017.

Comparing
the
average
set
lists
of
Frehley
and
Simmons’
recent
tours
reveals
some
common
patterns.
At
a
typical
show
Simmons
plays
nine
Kiss
songs,
which
is
either
one
or
three
less
than
Frehley
depending
on
if
you
count
songs
from
his
1978
solo
album,
released
while
he
was
still
in
the
band,
as
solo
songs
or
not.

Read
More:

The
Kiss
Album
That
Made
Gene
Simmons ‘So
Nervous’

What’s
more,
the
two
former
bandmates
play
five
of
the
same
Kiss
songs
most
nights: “Parasite,” “Cold
Gin,” “Deuce,” “Shout
It
Out
Loud”
and “Rock
and
Roll
All
Nite.”
The
first
two
songs
were
written
by
Frehley,
although
Simmons
sang
them
on
the
1974
albums


Kiss
and


Hotter
Than
Hell.

On
his
2024
tour
Simmons
usually
played
two
songs
from
his
solo
albums.
Despite
having
a
much
bigger
solo
discography,
that’s
the
same
number
Frehley
plays
from
his
post-Kiss
solo
albums
at
an
average
show,
compared
to
12
from
his
former
band.
Simmons
has
also
been
mixing
in
covers
of
songs
by

Van
Halen,

Led
Zeppelin
and

Motorhead
at
recent
shows.

Simmons’
Kiss
song
selections
are
also
tied
closely
to
his
time
with
Frehley
–
only
one
of
the
nine
Kiss
songs
he
plays
comes
from
after
the
guitarist’s
departure
from
the
group,
1982’s “I
Love
it
Loud.”
And
Frehley
was
still
technically
a
member
of
the
band
at
that
time.
Although
he
doesn’t
perform
on
the
song,
for
contractual
reasons
the “Spaceman”
appears
in
its
video
and
on
the
cover
of
its
home
album,


Creatures
of
the
Night.

All
these
commonalities
might
make
you
think, “Hey,
why
don’t
Ace
and
Gene
just
tour
together?”
In
fact
they
did
just
that
on
a
brief

2018
tour
of
Australia,
which
went
so
well
that
Frehley
wound
up
wholesale

replacing
his
former
band
with
Simmons’
touring
band.

But
considering
how
they’ve
already
broken
up
over
personality
and
creative
differences
twice,
and
still
occasionally

trade
nasty
barbs
with
each
other

in
the
press,
it’s
probably
best
that
the
two
Kiss
stars
stay
on
their
separate
tour
buses.

So
who
has
the
better
set
list?
It’s
a
tough
call
since
the
majority
of
both
shows
draws
largely
from
the
same
half-decade
of
Kiss’
career.
Simmons
is
clearly
having
a
blast
performing
without
50
pounds
of
leather
and
metal
or
a
rigid
set
list
timed
to
match
up
to
Kiss’
pyrotechnics
and
lighting
cues,
and
the
cover
songs
are
well
chosen.

On
the
other
hand,
the
perhaps
too
small
selection
of
solo
songs
that
Frehley
plays
each
night
rank
among
the
finest
work
by
anybody
ever
associated
with
Kiss.
So
decide
for
yourself,
or
even
better
go
to
both
shows!

Gene
Simmons
Band
Average
2024
Set
List

1. “Deuce”
2. “War
Machine”
3. “Are
You
Ready”
(from

Gene
Simmons
Vault,
2017)
4. “I
Love
It
Loud”
5. “Shout
It
Out
Loud”
6. “House
of
Pain”
(Van
Halen
cover)
7. “Communication
Breakdown”
(Led
Zeppelin
cover)
8. “Ace
of
Spades”
(Motorhead
cover)
9. “Weapons
of
Mass
Destruction”
(from

Asshole,
2004)
10. “Charisma”
11. “Parasite”
12. “Cold
Gin”
13. “Calling
Dr.
Love”
14. “Rock
and
Roll
All
Nite”

Watch
the
Gene
Simmons
Band
Perform ‘Shout
It
Out
Loud’

Ace
Frehley
Average
2025
Set
List

1. “Shock
Me”
2. “Deuce”
3. “Cherry
Medicine”
(from

10,000
Volts,
2024)
4. “Rock
Soldiers”
(from

Frehley’s
Comet,
1987)
5. “Love
Gun”
6. “Rocket
Ride”
7. “Parasite”
8. “Detroit
Rock
City”
9. “Rip
It
Out”
10.
Blues
Jam
11. “She”
12. “New
York
Groove”
13. “Cold
Gin”
14.
Guitar
Solo
15. “Shout
it
Out
Loud”
16. “Rock
and
Roll
All
Nite”

via

SetList.fm

Watch
Ace
Frehley
Perform ‘Shout
It
Out
Loud’

Simmons
will
launch
a
nine-date
tour
on
May
2
in
Peachtree
City,
Georgia.
That
same
night
Frehley
and
his
band
will
be
at
the
Starland
Ballroom
in
Sayerville,
New
Jersey.
You
can
keep
up
with
the
Kiss
legends’
tour
plans
at

GeneSimmons.com
and

AceFrehley.com.