KISS' Gene Simmons tongues David Letterman on air

Simmons hearts Letterman - a lot!
Simmons hearts Letterman - a lot! (Image credit: John Pyle/Icon SMI/Corbis)

David Letterman should have expected something out of the ordinary when KISS performed during The Late Show last night.

The good-natured host, who's had a bit of a bad week (a sex/extortion case, in case you haven't heard), was his usual cheery self as he introduced the potential Rock And Roll Hall Of Famers.

"We all shared a cab uptown earlier today," Letterman said, motioning to the band. "Our next guests are here to blow the roof off the dump, ladies and gentlemen, Kiss!"

And with that, the venerable kings of razzle-dazzle tore into Modern Day Delilah, a cut off their brand-new studio album, Sonic Boom.

The pyro was impressive - for four minutes The Ed Sullivan Theater was turned into Madison Square Garden.

But the best part was yet to come: Watch the video below. At the 4:49 mark, while greeting the band after their performance, Gene Simmons whipped out his legendary tongue and gave Letterman a face lick he won't soon forget.

That's showbiz, folks.

Joe Bosso

Joe is a freelance journalist who has, over the past few decades, interviewed hundreds of guitarists for Guitar WorldGuitar PlayerMusicRadar and Classic Rock. He is also a former editor of Guitar World, contributing writer for Guitar Aficionado and VP of A&R for Island Records. He’s an enthusiastic guitarist, but he’s nowhere near the likes of the people he interviews. Surprisingly, his skills are more suited to the drums. If you need a drummer for your Beatles tribute band, look him up.