Earlier this week, KISS frontman Gene Simmons told The Canadian Press, that the media is to blame for spoiling a surprise the band had in store for Oshawa, Ontario.

Earlier this year, KISS asked fans around the world to go to their website and vote for their hometown to be included in the band's next big tour.

Oshawa finished first among all cities, but when the dates for the tour were announced this week, the Ontario city was left off the list.

Fans and politicians in Oshawa were outraged and KISS eventually announced that it will play the city on October 7.

But Simmons says the media stoked the flames of the angry fan backlash and ruined what was supposed to be a surprise.

Simmons says the band had planned all along to launch its new album, Sonic Boom, in the city, but was forced by the media to make the announcement early.

"I'm really pissed off at the media for creating this nonsense," Simmons told The Canadian Press in an interview.

As reported by Thestar.com, singer PAUL STANLEY was a little more understanding than his band-mate.

"You may hear a slightly different story from Gene, but so be it," he told the Star from Los Angeles.

"The media was carrying the dissent and upset feeling of the fans. They weren't creating anything, they were reporting it. Don't blame the messenger."

Stanley said a "comedy of errors" led to Oshawa being left off the tour when an incomplete schedule was announced.

"The size of the production turned out to require a larger venue," KISS spokesman Erik Stein told the Star on Monday. "In this case, that turned out to be the Air Canada Centre."

This, according to the band, was not really the case.

Stanley said Oshawa was actually going to be on next leg of the tour, which hadn't been announced yet. The outcry from Oshawa's KISS fans compelled the band to make a change and play there sooner.

"October 7 was not originally deemed the day we were playing Oshawa," Stanley said. But "to sooth everybody's hurt feelings and concerns" KISS decided to launch their new album in the KISS-loving city.

"The fans were understandably upset, but no harm meant, and certainly no slight," Stanley said. "It was clearly announced that Oshawa was the number one city, so it would be insanity to not play it."