From a scrappy school cover band to rock ‘n’ roll legend: the hilarious story of a young Matt Cameron’s 1975 cease and desist letter finally wraps up with some good vibes and laughs.
Back in the ’70s, a super young Matt Cameron – future drummer for Soundgarden and Pearl Jam – was jamming in a KISS cover band right in his San Diego neighborhood. Alongside two buddies, they played school parties and local gigs, rocking homemade costumes and DIY pyrotechnics to mimic the legendary New York rockers.
They straight-up called themselves KISS. And yep, that’s exactly what got them into some legal hot water.
After catching a real KISS soundcheck and meeting Paul Stanley in ’75, a few months later Matt and his crew got hit with a cease and desist letter from Aucoin Management, the agency running the real band back then. Signed by manager Bill Aucoin himself, it ordered these kids to immediately stop using the name “KISS.”
Shocked and kinda bummed, the young band switched their name to KISS (Imitation) and kept rocking on, holding tight to their love for their idols.
Fast forward almost 50 years, Roman Fernandez – Bill Aucoin’s biographer and co-founder of Aucoin Globe Entertainment – decided to officially close the book on this story. On May 2, 2025, he sent Matt Cameron a “forgiveness” letter, along with a commemorative tee, an original Aucoin Management business card, and some flyers from Aucoin’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame campaign.
Fernandez wrote: “With all the powers (not) granted to me, I hereby officially declare the cease and desist letter from Aucoin Management null and void — though maybe double-check with Doc just in case!”
Matt posted a pic of the letter on his Instagram, saying: “Case closed. Big thanks to Roman Fernandez for this insanely thoughtful gift.” He also tagged #kiss and #billaucoin, closing a funny chapter from his youth – a story that now just makes you smile but shows the pure passion and respect for music that was there from the start.
Meanwhile, Gene Simmons jumped back into the mix, accusing Pearl Jam of ripping off the solo from KISS’s She for their hit Alive. The beef isn’t new: back in ’91 when Ten dropped, Mike McCready openly said his Alive solo is a tribute to Ace Frehley’s. “Ace was my hero. It’s a shout-out, not a theft,” he said straight-up.
He even rehashed that recently on the Shred With Shifty podcast hosted by Foo Fighters’ Chris Shiflett: “The Alive solo comes from KISS’s She… and Ace Frehley’s solo comes from Robby Krieger’s Five to One by The Doors. It’s an endless cycle of inspiration.”
From a “cease and desist” to a “case closed,” the story between Cameron and KISS is more than just a legal letter: it’s a snapshot of a generation raised on vinyl, dreams, and guitars – one that gave rock back all its irony and heart.
To seal the love for KISS, Pearl Jam have played the classic Black Diamond cover live multiple times – a song originally sung by Peter Criss. Their second-to-last performance was at the Rome show in 2018, with Mike McCready and Matt Cameron sharing vocals.
Born in Reggio Emilia in 1980. He created pearljamonline.it in 2001 and wrote the first edition of “Pearl Jam Evolution” in 2009 along with his wife Daria. Since 2022, he is behind 2 podcasts: “Pearl Jam dalla A alla Z” and “Fuori Orario Not Another Podcast”. He has collaborated with Barracuda Style, HvsR, Rolling Stone, Rockol and Il Fatto Quotidiano. He continues relentlessly to try to find “beautiful melodies that say terrible things”.
Favorite song: Present Tense
Favorite album: No Code
Favorite bands/artists other than PJ: Tom Waits, Soundgarden, Ramones, Bruce Springsteen, IDLES, Fontaines D.C., The Murder Capital, Dead Kennedys, Mark Lanegan, Cat Power, R.E.M.