Gene Simmons: �I still fly up to the top of the rafters and spit fire�
Descending to the stage on a flying-saucer is a dangerous business, says the Keane-loving KISS frontman
By Peter Robinson / Guardian
Hi Gene!
Hello! I am Gene Simmons.
Great. Your summer tour is called the Freedom to Rock tour. Is freedom to rock a right or a privilege?
You�d like to think it�s a right, but it really is a privilege. We can say here in western culture that it�s a right, but that doesn�t mean anything in North Korea, Iran or other places. So, do I think it�s an inalienable human right? Of course. Does it exist like that as a fait accompli? No. You�ve got to fight for it.
When we last spoke, 10 years ago, you told me you were a fan of Keane because they were bringing melody back to music. Do you still like Keane?
I really liked Keane, I thought the guy�s voice was really great. You have to remember Keane came before Coldplay, as far as I understand it. (1) Good songs are good songs, whether it�s Abba, Keane or Motörhead. So, yes, I really liked Keane, but the masses didn�t grab on to them, did they?
They were quite big in the UK.
No, I think you�re misunderstanding. The word �big� has some value: you can�t apply it to �big in Leicester� or �big in Sheffield�. You�re either big worldwide or you�re not big. Otherwise you devalue the word �big�. U2 are big.
I would have said �huge� is a possible next step up from �big�. U2 are huge, Keane were big.
You know, you�re right. These are semantics. But I�m not anti-semantic.
You used that exact same joke when we spoke 10 years ago.
I only know five things, and I repeat them.
