Former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick has opened up about his perspective on Tommy Thayer taking over the “Spaceman” role following Ace Frehley’s departure from the legendary rock band. In a recent interview, Kulick reflected on the possibility of being asked to fill the iconic position himself.
“Obviously once Ace was not happy and didn’t wanna be back in the band anymore, with the huge success, were they gonna ask me to be the Spaceman? And I had to struggle with that,” Kulick explained. He noted that his tenure with Grand Funk Railroad from 2000 to 2023 had given him a fulfilling alternative path. “I was happy with Grand Funk. I don’t know what I would’ve done if they’d asked me to come back to KISS, because I know what it is to have that lifestyle and be in KISS.”
Ultimately, Kulick expressed relief that the band made a different choice. “But in retrospect, they didn’t ask, number one, but number two, more importantly, I really think I would’ve kind of pooped on my era of KISS if I suddenly just became Ace Frehley. I was never asked to be that. Tommy does a beautiful job of it, and he was loved and hated for it. But he does a beautiful job of it.”
Kulick’s reasoning reveals a deeper understanding of KISS’s brand identity and his own legacy within the band. Blabbermouth reported that Kulick has publicly stated KISS “made the right choice” by hiring Tommy Thayer in 2002. The band’s primary goal was to preserve the character-driven makeup version of the group. Kulick recognized that bringing in someone with no connection to previous eras was strategically sound for maintaining the integrity of the Spaceman character.
The guitarist emphasized that accepting such a role would have fundamentally compromised his own era with KISS. His non-makeup period from 1984 to 1996 represented a distinct chapter in the band’s history. He understood that stepping into Ace’s iconic boots would have created confusion about his own contributions to the band’s legacy.
Despite never being asked to return, Kulick has consistently praised Tommy Thayer’s execution of the role. Ultimate Classic Rock documented that Kulick acknowledged Thayer’s ability to authentically represent the Spaceman character while bringing his own swagger to the performance. “Tommy Thayer did a fine job playing Ace’s riffs with some swagger,” Kulick noted, showing genuine appreciation for how his successor handled the demanding role.
Thayer’s tenure as the Spaceman lasted from 2002 until KISS’s final performances in 2023. This demonstrated that the band’s choice to move forward with a fresh face was effective. Kulick’s endorsement of this decision underscores his mature perspective on the band’s evolution and his own place within its history.
Ultimate Guitar revealed that Kulick has made peace with not being included in KISS’s final chapter, including the “End of the Road” farewell tour. He expressed that if returning to the band meant compromising his artistic integrity or being forced into a role that didn’t align with his era, he preferred to remain on the sidelines.
