Related Tags
Gene Simmons: “It’s easier to be the Ramones or The Rolling Stones than Kiss”
“On the other hand, we were much, much bigger,” Simmons says.
Image: Mike Coppola / Kevin Mazur / Getty Images
Gene Simmons has claimed that being in bands like the Ramones or The Rolling Stones is “easier” than being in Kiss.
The frontman makes the comment on a recent episode of The Adam Carolla Show, where he argues that those groups have it easier because they don’t have to commit to the extravagant costumes and theatrics that Kiss is known for.
“You have to be committed to it. You have to spend a lot more money,” Simmons says. “Look, it’s easier to be the Ramones or, God bless them, The Stones. I mean, Mick [Jagger], bless him, is 80 years old, running around on stage. But also, he’s always worn sneakers and a t-shirt.”
“He didn’t have to walk around with seven-inch dragon boots and spit fire and fly through the air, wear 40 pounds of studs, armour and stuff. So it’s a lot harder to be in Kiss than in the Ramones. On the other hand, we were much, much bigger,” he adds.
The musician also points out Kiss’s massive popularity during the late ‘70s, noting that they were voted the most popular rock band in the United States for three consecutive years by the Gallup Poll — surpassing even iconic bands like The Beatles and Led Zeppelin during their prime.
“For three years in a row, number one Gallup Poll [voted band]. Of course, 20-year-olds have no idea what Gallup means other than being on a horse and doing that. But we were a bigger popular vote than The Beatles and Zeppelin and all that stuff for three years in a row.”
Last year, Kiss closed out their four-year-long End Of The Road farewell tour with the announcement that the band’s members will live on “eternally” as digital versions of themselves — following in the footsteps of ABBA and their hologram Voyage shows.
Simmons also played his first performance post-Kiss at Brazil’s Summer Breeze festival this April. The bassist was joined by his solo band, whose lineup includes guitarists Brent Woods (Sebastian Bach, Vince Neil) and Zach Throne (Corey Taylor), along with drummer Brian Tichy (Whitesnake, Billy Idol, Foreigner).