Gene Simmons Always Says ‘Rock Is Dead,’ Does Paul Stanley Agree?
We'd be beating a dead horse if we wrote another story about how or why Gene Simmons thinks "rock is dead" — he's been saying it for years. But, Classic Rock recently did the lord's work and asked Simmons' bandmate and fellow KISS co-founder, Paul Stanley, if he agrees with the statement.
"It’s a great soundbite, but that’s about all it is," he responded.
So, no, Stanley doesn't agree with the notion, but he does have an interesting way of measuring the current state of rock 'n' roll.
"My son Evan is playing all around Los Angeles with a rock band that kicks ass and is getting great crowds, with beautiful models coming, and that’s proof to me that rock’s not dead," the rocker said.
It's hard to say whether or not models attending concerts have anything to do with the success of the band or the quality of the music, but Stanley then added that what's popular in the mainstream always changes over time.
"It ebbs and flows. There’s a lot of rock music being made right now, and some of it may be too derivative to really stake a claim and take it to the next level, but it will happen, it will happen," he stated. "But the next big rock band won’t be huge because it sounds like a band from the past, it will have its own voice."
KISS' final tour will head to South America and Europe this year, with an appearance at the Sonic Temple Festival in Ohio in late May in between. See all of their upcoming dates on their website.