This week’s edition of Three Sides Of The Coin features an interview with The Demon himself, Kiss bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons, in conversation with British rock writer (Record Collector magazine) and musician (with UK metalheads Black Sheets Of Rain) Rich Davenport. Simmons discusses what Kiss have in store for fans once the current End Of The Road tour concludes, revealing that the band have unreleased material ready to roll in the vaults, and plans for other projects including a movie and “…all kinds of stuff that makes purists furious.” Stream the interview below.
Says Davenport: “I was offered the chance to interview Gene for Record Collector magazine (www.recordcollectormag.com) as the band hit Europe for a series of shows, and as a fan of the band since I was 12 years old, I aimed to ask questions that would appeal to long-serving members of the Kiss Army. Gene was cordial and candid about such topics as the band’s reasons for making this tour their last, the possibility of an all-new line-up carrying on the Kiss name, his relationship with former guitarist Ace Frehley since Ace got sober, the origins of the bands vast range of collectible merchandise, the early days of Casablanca Records, and the different ways in which Kiss is perceived by audiences in different countries around the world. I had a lot more material from Gene than it was possible to include in the feature I wrote, so I contacted the guys at Three Sides Of The Coin, and on this week’s show, they’re airing the full-length audio version, giving you the unexpurgated Thoughts Of Chairman Simmons, on everything from Stevie Wonder to Scooby Doo.”
An abridged version of the interview appears in the current edition of Record Collector, along with a guide to the top ten Kiss collectables, compiled by Ingo Floren, author of The Official Price Guide To Kiss Collectibles, and is available from www.recordcollectormag.com
The Strombo Show welcomed GENE SIMMONS for an intimate exploration to celebrate his Gene Simmons’ Vault. This is the unedited, full conversation. He opened up about his thoughts as an immigrant toward President Trump, his relationship with all members of KISS along with his thoughts toward feminism and more.
Watch the full conversation here:
On if he thinks if President Trump is a good President:
“Well, it’s too early, you know when you were a little baby and you kept falling on your face, i’m not gonna judge you then, do i think you said a lot of stupid things, oh ya, but i know the man by the way, we hung and all that stuff, what you see is what you get, he says stupid things, and so do you, and so do i, i’m not validating it but… there’s not a human being that walks on the face of the planet that privately hasn’t made racists or anti-semitic or entire martian or anti-women jokes, or anti-irish jokes, go ahead. Privately everybody does it. He is a tourette president who will say whatever he wants.. and he doesn’t give a fuck if you approve of him, and he’s doing the job for one dollar. I like that.
You will be judged by what you do and that i agree that what you say can be hurtful, but at the end of the day politics intrinsically is about 2 things, one keep us safe, and to give me an opportunity to feed my family. I think if you go across everywhere else, anywhere else in the world those are the 2 items people are concerned with most, you will never please anybody, i don’t know anybody here who hasn’t said stupid things publicly or privately and if they get outed you know if you get caught on tape, from Mel Gibson to everyone, and i know mel very well and i’m jewish myself, and he said some stupid things, racists things, anti-semitic things when he was, y’know high or drunk or whatever, but i know the guy, i know that he gave a 2o million dollar check to start mending kids privately and never talked about it, i know the guy that goes out of his way to help refugees and stuff like that and doesn’t advertise it. It’s your deeds not what you say, you’ve said potty words and so have i, so i’m gonna give the guy who was duly elected a chance to show us what he can do, and then i’ll judge his legacy.”
On another KISS record:
When and if it’s the right time, i would wanna figure out a different business model because i refuse to stick it on clouds and shmouds and all this stuff where it’s just like a puff of smoke that’s gone, i want to feel, i want to see the art, i wanna feel the thing in my hand, i refuse to play by a broken down system that in a lot of ways is highway robbery, the artist, by the way it doesn’t affect me,. I’m a rich son of a bitch and all that okay okay okay, the new little baby bands, how do they earn a living? How do you write your songs and, how’d you quit your day job and really do this full time. You can’t.
It’s crazy because the fan refuse to pay money for the records, and that means your killing the new bands, you’re killing them , you’re not giving them the next elvis or elton or whoever you think is great, a chance. We had a lot of chance, we had record companies, they gave us millions and we could tour and do all that stuff, new bands have to go back to living in their mother’s basement. That’s unfortunate
On Halloween:
We used to go through Beverley Hills and they used to do cobwebs through entire street and i remember walking down the street one day, so help me god true story, without makeup or anything, just walking with the kids, and coming on the other side was a young mother and her very small child dressed just like me with makeup, which was in the days when the Demon was wrestling, and she comes over and she says sweetheart that’s gene simmons, and the little kid said, and he’s dressed like me in Kiss makeup, “who?” She said y’know, that’s the demon, she goes nooo, because the kid put on the demon makeup because of the wrestler who’s dressed like me, he never heard a kiss or anything. But i got him later mwahaha.
On Peter Criss’ final tour:
There’s no such thing as final. Yknow every band says goodnight, but if they clap long enough you come back and do it again.
I haven’t spoken to him in a long time but i think he’s far happier now, not everybody is designed to run a marathon, y’know being on the road is tough because everybody around you will try to drag you into darkness, and if you’re not careful it’s easy, and i’m too involved with myself and delusionally in love with myself that i’m not interested in other people’s assessment of life, i know what’s good for me.”
On Paul Stanley:
“He’s the best partner, i mean if i was gay i would do him, in front of you and your children.”
Paul Stanley has rushed to the defense of his KISS bandmate Gene Simmons after Nikki Sixx slammed Gene over the KISS bassist’s statement that the death of Prince, allegedly from a drug overdose, was “pathetic“, according to Blabbermouth.net.
Last week, Simmons received backlash from friends, family and fans after insinuating that Prince died from a drug overdose. The MÖTLEY CRÜE and SIXX:A.M. bassist also ripped Simmons on Twitter, saying his “recent heartless and uneducated remarks about Prince‘s death shows why he’s not my hero anymore or anybody’s.” Sixx elaborated on his criticism of Simmons on his nationally syndicated radio show “Sixx Sense”. He said: “I think that [Gene] is [an] overrated, lucky guy that dresses like a clown. [He] wrote some good songs, [but] hasn’t in a long time, and loves to brag about himself.”
Last night, Stanley took to his Facebook page to address Sixx‘s comments. He wrote: “Jesus Christ, Nikki Sixx! Would you please shut up, find another way to be in the news and get off your self-inflated pedestal?
“Regardless of some things Gene Simmons has said that I may take issue with, his influence on musicians (you included) is undeniable and will continue. More importantly, his work, generosity and monetary contributions to numerous causes and charities for those less fortunate makes your ongoing rant, in the scheme of things, the unimportant but annoying squeak it truly is.
“Move on.”
Stanley‘s remarks prompted a quick response from Sixx, who wrote on Facebook: “Looks like good old Paul doesn’t like that someone called out his buddy Gene again…I will give him a standing ovation for calling out Gene himself publicly and then trying to hold my feet to the same fire, but you can’t save him. If the press wants to run with a story, they got legs and we all know they need fresh content. I have to admit calling the next KISS album ‘Move On’ would be a clever idea though…Love to the Starchild.”
He added: “We all give to charities and support our troops etc because that the right thing to do with our success.Telling a depressed kid to kill themselves etc etc etc etc is not… So don’t confuse issues.”
After Simmons‘s original comments about Prince were first published, Stanley denounced his bandmate’s “cold, clueless” statement on Twitter, saying that he was “embarrassed” by Simmons‘s remarks and offering his apologies.
Simmons last week took to Twitter to clarify his remarks about Prince. He explained: “I apologize — I have a long history of getting very angry at what drugs do to the families/friends of the addicts. I get angry at drug users because of my experience being around them coming up in the rock scene.”
Gold 104.3 radio DJ Gav conducted an interview with KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons ahead of the band’s recent concert in Melbourne, Australia. They discuss everything from the spider stage set KISS brought with them, Australian accents, make-up techniques, creativity and whether Simmons has political aspirations, as reported by blabbermouth.net.
Asked if he would ever run for office, Simmons responded: “You know, in all seriousness, they don’t pay enough. Teachers, policemen, firemen… The most important jobs don’t pay very well, which is why you’re not gonna get the best talent. The best talent are in the financial sector — you know, big corporate entities, hedge fund and venture capital and so on. So… Or if you’d make me the benevolent dictator, just give me six months, I’ll do it for one dollar — ’cause I make a living — but I want total power. You can fire me — if the masses vote and so on, ‘Get rid of him’ — without cause. As long as the majority wants me gone, I’d be gone. But while I’m in office, democracy is wonderful, but it’s messy. A benevolent dictator is the most effective way of running a country. I would clean up the mess immediately; you know I would. The bad guys are going, ‘Uh oh, he knows.’ Yeah. I’d have to have lots of security, ’cause all the bad guys would wanna take me out.”
Back in 2012, Simmons expressed regret over his endorsement of President Barack Obama in 2008, telling Fox News’ “Fox and Friends”, “Hindsight is 20/20. I have some real issues with the economy and how it’s being done. America should be in business and it should be run by a businessman.”
He continued, “America is a business. If you can’t afford to do something, no matter how much bellyaching everybody does… I’m so sorry, if you can’t afford it, you shouldn’t do it. If you can afford to take care of two kids. Have two kids. Don’t have ten kids. If you can’t afford to have a $400,000 home, you can afford a $100,000 home, then do that.”
Asked by host Gretchen Carlson who his pick for president was, Simmons responded, “Strictly speaking on the economy and in my humble opinion, Mitt Romney.”
During a 2012 interview with Noisecreep, KISS frontman Paul Stanley made it clear that he didn’t share his bandmate Gene Simmons‘ views on voicing their political opinions publicly.
“I don’t know what’s more embarrassing, these musicians and actors talking about politics in interviews or the media actually giving them credibility about it,” Stanley said. “It’s absurd that a celebrity could speak out on the economy or politics with no more justification than a hit album or a movie. Not to deride Gene, but I just think he’s part of a symptom of absurdity where you’ll see somebody on television whose only criteria for being there is success in a field far away from what they’re being asked about. I really don’t know who is more ridiculous, the celebrity answering these political questions or the person asking them.”
He continued, “I’m usually not at a loss for words, but this whole celebrity political thing always gets me. It’s so embarrassing to see people with absolutely no inside knowledge of anything they are talking about. I have friends who are intimately involved with world affairs and these are the people who won’t give opinions like these celebrities do. For my friends, it’s far more complex and sensitive than that, unlike these celebrities who read some newspaper story, or watch CNN, and then spout out some opinion on something they truly don’t know anything about.”
Gene Simmons‘ house was raided on Thursday morning by police looking for evidence of child porn, although we’re told neither Gene nor anyone in his family is a suspect, according to tmz.com.
The LAPD’s Internet Crime Against Children Task Force executed a search warrant at 8 AM, and we’re told cops seized computers and other evidence.
Law enforcement sources tell us, someone downloaded child porn either on one of their computers or using their Internet access. We’re told neither Simmons nor anyone in his family are considered suspects or persons of interest. Gene was away on tour when the downloads occurred.
It’s unclear who, if anyone is considered a suspect. We’re told the family is fully cooperative.
AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson has addressed Gene Simmons’ claim that rock is dead, saying: “With all respect to the lad, I think he’s terribly wrong”, according to classicrock.com.
The KISS star claimed in September that the music industry and illegal downloaders had “murdered” the genre between them, leading to a string of reactions from Corey Taylor, Joe Perry, Mark Tremonti, Slash and many others.
Now Johnson tells UCR: “I don’t think anybody should have the nerve to stand here and say a certain genre of music has disappeared ‘because I say so.’
“I’m here to tell you, Gene – you’re wrong. I’m saying it’s alive and kicking. My name’s Brian. How do you do?”
The singer argues that it’s easier today for young musicians to establish whether they have what it takes to make it.
“Kids have got a better chance to get their stuff out now with social media,” he says. “They can buy stuff to record with – we couldn’t buy a four-track recorder. We’d save up to go into a little studio in Newcastle and we’d have to physically take it to London. Now they can literally do it in their garage and put it out.
“But if you’re playing stuff and people are digging it, you’ve started your band. All you’ve got to do now is keep at it – and dodge the people who go ‘Get yourself a proper job.’ Take the path less travelled and take it on the chin.”
AC/DC release “Rock Or Bust”, their first album without mainman Malcom Young, on December 1. They’ll hit the road next year – but it’s not known whether arrested drummer Phil Rudd will remain part of the band.
