Gene Simmons talks with Bass Player
Gene Simmons: "Many guitarists call their instruments 'axes', but nobody trademarked it. Except this guy!"
The fire-breathing KISS frontman and bassist on being the hardest working, hardest rocking band in the business
Gene Simmons’ activities outside the scope of music - his womanizing, his love of money, his reality TV shows and various minor controversies - has often overshadowed the fact that, first and foremost, he is a musician in one of the world’s biggest rock bands.
It might explain why Gene isn’t always given the bass props he deserves, despite being one of the exponent’s most famous players. His skill is certainly evident on Kiss’ recordings, particularly in the early days on tracks such as Goin’ Blind, Black Diamond or 100,000 Years.
His style is a little unconventional for some, playing solely with a pick, but, as drummer Eric Singer stated before the interview started, “Gene’s on the fucking money. I’ve played with the very best - and Gene is up there with all of them”.
Given Eric’s CV, that’s high praise indeed. Kiss are currently embarked on their final tour - not to be confused with their farewell tour of 2001 - and I find myself backstage at London’s O2 Arena, marveling at the sheer scale of the stage production being put into place by the crew, before finally being introduced to the man himself. The first thing to note is his presence.
