Gene Simmons told Michael Franzese that KISS didn’t need popular songs to be legendary.
“In a very strange way, KISS became a massive band without hit songs,” the bassist said of their swift climb to stardom. It was all about live performances.”
Simmons added, “If inquisitive, visit YouTube. We thrashed any performer that shared the stage. We’d blow them offstage.”
He continued, “Part of it was strategy. The KISS emblem was six or seven feet tall with flashing lights spelling it out. No one did that, especially not us. Like a Vegas show.”
Simmons won’t copy KISS’s lavish stage shows on his solo tours. For every KISS event, pyro costs $10,000, perhaps $50,000 if we’re outdoors. No managers, private jets, 20 tractor trailers, 60-man crew, or enormous shows. He told the Behind the Setlist podcast the costs are huge.
He added, “It’s like renting amps in a garage, and the neighborhood comes in. It’s informal and fun.”
Simmons is touring with Brent Woods, Brian Tichy, and Zach Throne. Woods handles travel and concert logistics, while his assistant handles business. The spring 2025 tour begins in Tallahassee on April 28 and ends in Houston on May 24. It will visit the Count Basie Center in Red Bank, New Jersey, on May 5.