Strutt’R and Triple Engine celebrate Frehley with KISS memorial show

The Rock Soldiers: Ace Frehley Memorial is set to celebrate the late KISS guitarist with sets from Perth’s premier KISS tribute band Strutt’R (full make-up and costumes) and power trio Triple Engine (doing an all-Ace set with special guest Will Gibbs). Rock Soldiers: Ace Frehley Memorial hits the Carine Tavern on Friday, April 10. There’ll be prizes for best-dressed, and entry is free. BOB GORDON sat down with Chris Gibbs (who will play with Triple Engine and then don the makeup and perform with Strutt’R) and Rhona Yaka to find out more about the upcoming show honouring a musical legend.

It’s coming up to Ace Frehley’s first birthday following his passing last October. What is the thinking behind this evening? 

CG: Ace’s passing affected me more than I would have thought it would. I’d been inhabiting the ‘character’, as it were, via KISStake for close to twenty years, so it genuinely felt like a part of me had gone. So it’s fitting to revisit his legacy now that some time has passed and say goodbye in true rock’n’roll fashion.

RY: For Strutt’R, this evening is a tribute to celebrate Ace’s legacy in the music industry. His passing was felt around the world, and he influenced many a budding guitarist growing up in the height of KISS’s fame.

How would you describe Ace’s influence on emerging guitarists and his legacy? He’s not held in the same esteem as Page, Hendrix, Clapton or Beck—some of his own great influences—but he does hold a special space, if you will, amongst rock guitarists and fans.

CG: He was one of the first to make guitar seem genuinely bigger and more otherworldly than it really is. He wore his influences on his sleeve, so many might view some of his work as recycled from his heroes, but there’s a slew of licks and riffs that are unmistakably his or, at the very least, his unique and identifiable take on what came before him. That’s all any guitarist really does when it comes down to it—listen to other players, add to that, and put it out there for the future.

RY: Ace made it possible for a lot of kids to take up guitar and not only excel at it but also find their own style. He really introduced the Gibson Les Paul to a young generation of players because so many of us became passionate about the tone of a Les Paul. Like Jimmy Page for the kids a few years older, Ace made the Les Paul the prize.

How would you characterise Ace’s playing style? His solos were often described as ‘a song within a song’.

CG: He was great at ‘chapter’ solos, a term I like to use to describe solos that have specific sections. From other players, Page in Whole Lotta Love or Young in You Shook Me All Night Long are great examples. For Ace, listen to songs like Rocket Ride or Shock Me—you can cut each solo neatly into smaller parts or ‘chapters’. That, in effect, adds to the storytelling aspect of his guitar solos.

RY: Ace’s licks were so memorable. We can sing them. That has been followed through by other guitarists like Kirk in Metallica—we sing his solos, also. Ace’s solos just fit… they complemented his era in KISS perfectly.

Triple Engine are playing an all-Ace set with special guest Will Gibbs. What can you say about the set and also Will as a guitarist himself? 

CG: Will’s work with Interflow has already established him as an old-school player amongst his peers, a player who tends to look back lovingly at what has come before him to develop his style. The Triple Engine set will please Ace fans: there are songs that some of us may have not even seen or heard live before, or at the least very rarely. I pitched the idea. Will come on board once we have the set sorted, as there are some great opportunities to really replicate what was on the recordings with two guitars.

What can you say about Strutt’R’s set? 

CG: For me, it’s like a vintage KISStake set. Strutt’R have looked at classic 70s-era KISS setlists for this show, and it’s really cool.

RY: Our set will cover the band’s most iconic numbers that the audience will recognise from the first note played. From anthems like I Was Made For Loving You to Rock And Roll All Nite and everything in between.

What’s it like for you, Chris, to fill the Ace boots again this time for Strutt’R, especially for a show like this? 

CG: I hope my make-up doesn’t run! There will be emotion; I’ve got the Ace set first, then a quick costume change and ‘back into the Frehley’ one more time. I’m feeling really good about it, and I hope everyone gets a kick out of me revisiting my take on Ace.

Rhona, what has the Strutt’R experience been like for you and the band so far? 

RY: Well, I have been an avid KISS fan since I was a kid. I always thought of the idea of being in a KISS tribute but never really truly made the jump until one day my husband asked me what it would take for me to go back to drumming, as I was a lead singer and loved only carrying a microphone. The answer was to be in a KISS tribute, and he said, ‘Do it!’ so here I am, and I’m loving every bit of it. I saw KISStake, and they really lit a fire in me, and they have been so supportive of us; we couldn’t be happier. It has taken a while for us to find the right members that fit the band both personally and professionally, but now we are looking forward to what this journey will bring.

What are your plans in 2026 for both Strutt’R and Triple Engine?

CG: After this show, next up for 3E is our digital release of KISS’ Rocket Ride! Final touches are being added to the recording right now.

RY: Strutt’R has more shows planned for 2026, and we are continuing to add to our set more KISS classics from the makeup years and non-makeup years, which also saw the band give us songs like Heaven’s On Fire, Crazy Crazy Nights, Rise To It, Forever, Hide Your Heart, Unholy, I Just Wanna and more. No matter what stage you found yourself getting on board the KISS train, we will celebrate it with you. We even have plans to stage some special shows where we play the albums Dynasty and Love Gun in their entirety given how successful both of those albums were in Australia for KISS.

What do you hope people take away from the Rock Soldiers show? 

CG: A love for rock ’n’ roll and a reinforced respect for one of the most fun, recognisable and influential guitarists in history.

RY: I hope the takeaway is just how respected Ace was, not just for his contribution to the success that KISS enjoyed but as a guitarist that inspired and continues to inspire others to play guitar. Also, we want to celebrate the impact that KISS had not only on the fans but also on the industry as a whole. They did things in concert during the 70s that few other bands could do, and they set the bar for what was possible in bringing spectacle to the concert experience. It was a celebration of life, love and freedom. Strutt’R attempts to recreate the experience of being at a KISS concert as best we can within our limits to do so.

Rock Soldiers: Ace Frehley Memorial hits Carine Tavern on Friday, April 10, 2026. For more information, visit facebook.com