When Taylor Swift dressed as a member of Kiss for an on-stage prank, nobody was happier than Kiss star Gene Simmons.
The prank happened back in 2009 when Swift was touring with singer Keith Urban.
During a concert in Missouri, Urban was performing his hit song Kiss A Girl when Swift and her band walked on stage in Kiss makeup and costumes.
Swift was in the guise of original Kiss lead guitarist Ace Frehley.
Simmons still enjoys talking about it now, and tells MusicRadar: “I invite everybody to go on YouTube and tag ‘Taylor Swift Kiss band’. Even Keith Urban put out there. You'll see Taylor and her band coming out in Kiss makeup and doing a song. Oh yeah!”
Simmons also describes himself as a Radiohead fan, although he admits that he and Thom Yorke are polar opposites in their attitudes to the music business.
Simmons refers to Radiohead’s 2007 album In Rainbows, for which the band offered a ‘pay what you want’ deal.
“Thom Yorke is an an amazing songwriter and one of the finest vocal performers around,” Simmons says. “But you could pay what you want for a Radiohead record? That didn't last long, did it?
“You only do that once. Because people will go, ‘Oh, I can get something for free or pay what I want to pay? I don't want to pay anything!’
“And don't get me wrong – I'm a big fan of Radiohead. But I hear that Thom Yorke always gets upset when I say, ‘Yeah, but we make Kiss condoms and they can’t.’”
Simmons reckons the music business has changed almost beyond recognition since the 1970s, when Kiss became major stars.
“It's a different animal,” he says. “From 1958 until 1988 is 30 years. What came out during that time?
“Well, with the record companies supporting the artists you had Elvis, The Beatles, the Stones and Pink Floyd and Hendrix and on and on and on. And the solo artists, Prince and Bowie.
“And in the same period of time, Motown was full blast, and disco, and you had Madonna. And the heavy bands were there – Metallica and AC/DC, Aerosmith, and Kiss, if you like.
“It was a ripe and healthy music scene, because there was a support system.
“But the business model has changed. The days of a new hot band being courted by record labels, where they offer millions of dollars, non-refundable? Those days are gone.
“Record companies now make a lot of money without having to pay the artist much. So until lawmakers release new laws – so that new music cannot be downloaded or streamed without more money going to the artist who owns it – until then it's like a supermarket with the doors wide open, with people just grabbing whatever they want.”
But there is hope for the future, Simmons says. He still believes there are many great young artists out there making great music. And among them are his own son, Nick Simmons, and his friend Evan Stanley, the son of Kiss frontman and fellow co-founder Paul Stanley.
“Nick, our son, and Evan, Paul’s son, they’ve been pals for their whole lives,” Simmons says, “because they went to see their dads at work – wearing more makeup and high heels than their moms, as it happens.
“So they were pals, and they both got into music very heavily, but completely differently.
“Nick was much more into Radiohead, ethereal music – and by the way, his music wound up in TV shows.
“And Evan had kind of a rock band thing where he was a writer and singer.
“But one day, not too long ago, Evan came over to Nick's house, and he had an acoustic guitar. And you can go on YouTube and see it – Evan Stanley and Nick Simmons singing [Simon & Garfunkel classic] The Sound Of Silence.
“One acoustic guitar, and they're singing together. And when you hear that sound, you go, ‘Wait a minute!’ It's like the Everly Brothers, that blend.
“There's something about the timbre of voices that either works or it doesn’t. Hendrix and Madonna doing harmonies? That's not going to work. But Lennon McCartney? It works. Simon & Garfunkel, obviously. Crosby, Stills & Nash…”
Simmons says there will be more news on Nick and Evan’s project very soon.
“Now they're recording their first album,” he says, “and record companies are all over them."
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.