Gene Simmons on Controversial Prince Comments, Why Lady Gaga Is the ‘Only Rock Star of the Last Few Years'

In 2014, rock legends KISS booked a nine-show residency in Las Vegas at the Hard Rock Hotel in 2014 and filmed the show, yielding the one-night-only movie event KISS Rocks Vegas on May 25 at cinemas across the world. Now, as often happens when concert movies are released, KISS have released a DVD of the show, which features a 16-song concert and an additional seven-song acoustic set.

During an interview with Yahoo Music Simmons talked about the band’s latest release, why they may never release a follow-up album to 2012’s Monster, why Prince’s death wasn’t “sad” and how Lady Gaga may be the last great hope for a fizzling rock scene.

YAHOO MUSIC: You’ve been fairly active on social media, and some people have gotten into skirmishes with you regarding the value of certain styles of music or artists. Do you enjoy the confrontational nature of the Twitter and Facebook?

GENE SIMMONS: I haven’t been in any spats. People come after me. I’m a good target, but I don’t engage.

What about after Prince died, when you said it was pathetic to see another music legend die from a drug overdose before the autopsy results were even announced?

I just said what I said and people responded. There was no kickback from me. And if anyone is interested, go to my interview on CNN with Pamela Brown. I stand by those words.

You praised Prince in that interview for his humanitarian contributions and mentioned that you spent a little bit of time with him.

I knew Prince a little bit. In the Diana Ross days I took her down to see Prince, so I very informally knew the man. He was a tremendous talent, amazing. But drugs are drugs, and we’re in a permissive culture and everything’s getting legalized every day. People say it’s sad when people die and kill themselves because of drugs. I don’t think it’s sad. I think it’s a choice. When you get run over by a truck, that’s sad. Your life is taken from you. But when you engage in drugs, you play with fire and you’re gonna get burned.

Right now the music world is losing so many key figures. Just this year, David Bowie, Glenn Frey, Prince, Maurice White, Paul Kantner, Keith Emerson, and Merle Haggard have died — and those are only the biggest names. It’s yet another indication that the people we admire, idolize, and emulate can’t live forever. What new artists do you see that can carry on in the footsteps of the legends?

I said an incendiary thing a while back that really pissed off rock fans. But I see Lady Gaga as the only rock star of the last few years. What I mean by that is if she ditched the disco boys and the poles and the pop tracks, she really does have the musical goods and stage presence — outrageous kind of stuff — to be a kind of a female Elton [John]. In the days when he was playing stadiums, Elton would come out dressed as a duck, or whatever, and it was cool rock stuff. I’d like to see Gaga with a rock band. She’s made her fortune in the disco world. I’m not a fan of that stuff. I think it’s manufactured. It’s done well. It’s not my taste. I’d love to see he with two guitars, drums, and bass in back of her. I think she would rock it. But I’ve also been crucified for saying rock is dead.

Do you still believe that?

Well, I ask you this. Between 1958 and 1988 — that’s 30 years — the iconic, classic, historical figures included Elvis Presley, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix. You can go on and on and on. And in the ‘70s, you had Aerosmith, Kiss, Pink Floyd. In the early ‘80s, you had U2 and even with the disco stuff you’ve got Madonna, Michael Jackson, Motown. It just goes on and on. Now, from 1988 until today, give me the new Elvis or Beatles?

There are still huge rock bands out there. Like them or not, Metallica, Nirvana, R.E.M. have sold millions of records. And newer groups like Foo Fighters, Nickelback, Alter Bridge, Muse, the Black Keys, and even Slipknot are all drawing huge crowds.

I’m not asking who’s popular. Is that the new Beatles or Elvis?

Maybe there will never be another Beatles or Elvis. It doesn’t mean rock is dead.

But the Beatles and Elvis are the bar because before then, you had Sinatra and Bing Crosby. The bar is set very high. Just because you’re a Vic Damone does not mean it’s the same thing. The masses are the ones who create superstars. It’s of the people, by the people, for the people. If you tell your mom, “Slipknot,” she’ll say, “What did you tear? I’ll sew it back up.” I like the band, too, but your mom won’t have a f—ing clue what you’re talking about if you mention them to her. A superstar — you can go to your grandma and say, “Elvis,” and she will know who he is. And this is decades after he has died. If you say, “Who’s the drummer in the Lemonpipers?” or whoever you think is the big thing these days, most people won’t have a clue.

Ugh, the Lemonpipers suck. But forget rock for a second. There are major stars in hip-hop like Dr. Dre, Diddy, Jay Z, Kanye West, and Drake that are changing pop culture. Maybe in 50 years, Grandma and Grandpa will be sitting in their rocking chairs talking about them.

Name me the hip-hop Elvis – the superstar that will last decades. There isn’t one. No.

OK, back to the subject of rock. What were the highlights for you from KISS Vegas shows?

Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making your plans. Originally, when we went in to do that stint in Vegas, we were looking forward to it because we had never done a run in a Vegas casino, so it was a different type of a thing, and it was a chance to stay in one spot long enough to do new gags. We came up with new effects and there was new technology with video screens. Our screens went over the head of the first few rows of the audience. So what you saw in back of us actually extended beyond the stage.

Did you always plan on filming the show for a movie and DVD?

The idea actually came up while we were rehearsing and we went, “Yeah, why not?” We didn’t know where it was going to go. We thought it would be one of those live video things that goes straight to DVD. But people liked it. It gathered momentum and it played on movie screens across the world for one day. There must have been thousands of movie theaters all playing it the same day. The fans loved it. People went to celebrate and we saw videos and photos of movie theaters full of people with KISS makeup.

Any strange or unusual moments that fans watching the movie won’t see?

We tried out one effect that was a flying saucer platform that came in from the back of the hall. It was carrying myself and [guitarist] Tommy [Thayer]. Paul [Stanley] wouldn’t get on in. He stayed at the back of the stage — smart guy. We only tried it twice. It was death-defying because there was no net below and the saucer was moving and if it tipped, you’re done. We were bracing our legs against the inside of this thing. But it was too dangerous so we got rid of it. As it is, I fly up to the top of the light system at about eight feet per second. That and spitting fire is dangerous enough.

Circus performers who spit fire tell horror stories about getting singed or accidentally swallowing the lighter fluid, which is poisonous. Why do you still do it?

I still do it because fans love it, but I have swallowed the fluid. I have been to the poison control center. That happened in Denver in the ‘70s. They gave me something called Ipecac, which expels everything in your system. You start peeing through your butt. You throw up, your eyes tear, your nose runs, everything comes out. Since that happened, I learned to control it.

You’ve played everywhere from tiny clubs to giant arenas. Which are the most enjoyable?

Stadiums are probably the most fun because it’s more like the Roman spectacle of gladiators in the ring. On the tour we’re on now, we’ll be doing a show in Mexico City in a soccer stadium. Those are fun. They’re less intimate, I’ll grant you, but you get a chance to stretch out and have more firepower than most third world countries. I like that. Big is better for me.

In 1999 you played at the Super Bowl Pregame show in Miami flanked by cheerleaders in KISS makeup. And in 2002 you performed at the Winter Olympics on a platform that glided across the ice while Gold Medal-winning figure skaters circled the stage. Do you like playing huge sporting events?

It’s not a big thing because you’re part of somebody else’s party. It’s much more fun when you throw your own party because then everybody there is your guest or your friend. People go to the Super Bowl for the football game and the artist is there as a sugarcoating. It’s not the same as having your own stadium show.

Members of the band have talked about how the pointlessness of releasing new KISS music. Would you like to record a follow-up to your 2012 album Monster?

We haven’t stopped writing, that’s for sure, but the whole record industry is in such chaos between downloading and file sharing and Twitter and shmitter and all the other technology. You work your ass off writing and recording and doing that stuff and when it comes out… Well, you know what happens.

Aren’t fans chomping at the bit for more material?

Well, let me put it to you this way. When you see the Stones and they say, “Here’s a new song off our new record,” do you sit down? Most people do. They want to hear “Honky Tonk Woman” and “Satisfaction,” then when the band plays the new stuff, they sit down.

Some artists are incorporating new songs into movies, TV shows or advertisements, ensuring they’ll get paid even if people download the material.

That just emphasizes how much the music industry is falling apart. But Paul and myself just did a movie with James Franco called Why Him? It’s coming out this winter. Movies, TV shows, and car commercials use our stuff all the time. Writing new material for a movie – sure, we’d do it. But just doing the same old, same old… I get why YouTube made a deal with Apple. Because if you do it on your own you work your ass off for pennies.

Did you write new music for Why Him?

No, Paul and I just appear as ourselves. James Franco is a wacko in the movie and he’s in the middle of America and somehow he arranges to get Gene and Paul from KISS to fly in on a helicopter, so we’re part of the movie in KISS makeup.

From a business perspective, it’s as important as ever for musicians to appear in movies to expand and perpetuate their brand. Do you enjoy stretching out into other mediums like that?

Oh, sure. You shoot 10-hour days. We’ve never been in makeup and our outfits for that long. And you shoot the whole day to get five minutes of screentime. I’ve been in numerous movies over the year and that’s what movies are all about. You hurry up and wait.

At this year’s Wacken Festival in Germany, the band Dio’s Disciples performed with a hologram of the late Ronnie James Dio, which raises new possibilities for what’s possible in a live environment. Would you sign off on a holographic KISS tour so you could stay home or take a long vacation?

It depends. I’d need to see it first. You never say no. But I’d like to think at some point we have to stop. We can’t live forever. I think we’re looking better and sounding better than we ever have. It’s certainly a more professional band. We show up on time and blow the roof off the place. But let’s face it, at some point we’re going to have to hang up our platform heels. I’d like to think when that happens four new young men — deserving, hard-working unknowns — will step up and dare wear the crown.

Maybe music has become so transitory that nothing can last decades?

It can, but the new superstar is not going to be relegated to just music. The Justin Timberlakes of the world are doing the right thing. So is Gaga. You’ve got to spread out into movies and other ventures and show you’re multifaceted. Elvis and the Beatles did movies at the same time they were making records. And the Beatles had a cartoon show. You can’t just make music and expect to become iconic imagery — which brings us to KISS. By some estimates we are the four more recognized faces on Earth, which is a little extreme to say, except you and I both know that Sweden is a monarchy and has a king and queen. But I believe you don’t know what the king and queen of Sweden looks like, which is OK because everyone in Sweden knows what KISS looks like. I win.