Gene Simmons calls KISS 'the greatest and most fabulous band on planet earth'
KISS bassist Gene Simmons has showered his own band with superlatives ahead of their swansong End of the World Tour.
Coinciding with the world tour announcement on Monday, which includes five UK arena shows in July 2019, KISS spoke to Billboard about their 45-year career.
Heaping praise upon the band he co-founded in 1973, Gene said: “When we introduce ourselves for 45 years with you, (you) wanted the best, you got the best, the hottest band in the world. The bar is very high, maybe the highest. We’re in competition only with ourselves.
“We don’t wish any ill will to anybody else, but we’re too busy being the most fabulous band on planet earth. Look at us. Just one look and you go ‘Wow.’”
Later explaining that KISS have designed all-new outfits and nine-inch platform boots for the tour, Gene said: “These are new outfits that we took a long time to craft. All of us design our own stuff. At the end of the day we are fully complete by ourselves.
“We’re not only in KISS, we’re fans of the band. I’m on stage with these guys. I look across the stage, and wow. We’re the greatest band on earth.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Paul Stanley hammered home that unlike their Farewell Tour in 2000-2001, the multi-year End of the World Tour will definitely spell the end of KISS’s touring career.
“One thing for sure is that this is the last tour. What goes beyond that is really hard to say,” Paul explained. “The tour may go three years, but once we play your city, it is done. That is our big thank you.”
Revealing the tour setlist will contain their biggest hits, Paul added: “For all the audience saying ‘When are you going to record a new album or will you play a deep cut?’ Why? We have ‘Detroit Rock City,’ ‘Love Gun,’ ‘Rock and Roll All Night,’ “Shout Out Loud,’ ‘Firehouse,’ ‘Hotter Than Hell,’ and the list goes on and on.
“There isn’t room for some obscure song. Songs that are obscure are obscure for a reason.”
He continued: “And if we’re going to please a handful of diehards, the real crazy diehards and have 20,000 other people go ‘What’s that?’ or “Let’s go out and get a Coke’ then we are failing the masses. We wouldn’t do that.”
Tickets to the UK leg of the End of Road World Tour go on sale from Planet Rock Tickets at 10am on Friday (2nd November). KISS play:
JULY 2019
Birmingham Resorts World Arena- Tue 9th
London The O2 – Thu 11th
Manchester Arena – Fri 12th
Newcastle Metro Radio Arena – Sun 14th
Glasgow The SSE Hydro – Tue 16th