Gene Simmons claims credible bands can kiss his "ass".
The KISS bassist thinks groups shouldn’t take themselves too seriously and instead they should take inspiration from early rock and roll bands who made up their own rules.
As KISS feature on the front cover of Rolling Stone magazine for the first time, Gene told the publication: "All the credible bands can kiss my ass, with all due respect.
"The original forefathers who are now in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame – and I don’t mean the disco or the hip-hop artists, what the fuck are they thinking? – couldn’t spell the word ‘credibility’ and never thought about it.
"It was an antithesis of the self-imposed mandate, which is, ‘Do what you want to do.’ In other words, no rules."
The rock band – also made up of current members Paul Stanley, Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer – will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame themselves next month and Gene insists it’s all for the fans.
He said: "The most important thing is that it’s validation for fans who were picked on for liking KISS as opposed to, I don’t know, Air Supply."
A classic photograph of the band from 1975 – featuring the original line-up of Gene, Paul, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss – appears on the cover of Rolling Stone, although the band are still feuding with the two founding members.
Paul and Gene offered to allow Ace and Peter to play with the current line-up at the ceremony, along with Tommy and Eric, but the pair found that proposition insulting.
Pete said: "I won’t be disrespected. How can you put me in the Hall of Fame and then tell me to go sit over there in the corner while another guy puts on my makeup and plays? That’s an injustice. To the fans, too."
Meanwhile, Gene thinks the pair "no longer deserve to wear the paint."
He said: "The makeup is earned. Just being there at the beginning is not enough … And if you blow it for yourself, it’s your fault. You can’t blame your band members. ‘Oh, look what happened to me. Oh, poor me.’ Look at my little violin. I have no sympathy."
Gene Simmons: Credible bands can kiss my ass
