AC/DC Icon Phil Rudd’s Attack On KISS

The rock world is primarily known for its fiery atmosphere, open to numerous scandals, heated arguments, and endless rivalry among the bands. While the internal conflicts among the band members are widespread, the feuds among the groups are also not less than that. They can stem whether from the personal problems they have with each other or the different musical perspective they share.

Whatever the reason, these kinds of feuds are almost inevitable in the music scene, where there are so many different characters and ego clashes. Whereas some bands get along very well with each other and form solid friendship bonds, others don’t hesitate to attack each other at every opportunity. AC/DC icon Phil Rudd also didn’t miss the chance to say a few words about KISS.

What Did Phil Rudd Say About KISS?

Phil Rudd joined AC/DC right after the release of the band’s debut studio album, ‘High Voltage,’ in 1975. The group’s follow-up album, ‘T.N.T.‘ was the first record featuring Rudd as their new drummer. He contributed to all the albums recorded by the band from 1975 to 1983. Except for a departure between 1983 and 1994, the drummer has continued his stint with the band until today.

By the end of the 1970s, AC/DC had become a very popular rock act and was extensively touring worldwide. They were hitting the road also with other notable bands like Aerosmith, Styx, UFO, Blue Öyster Cult, and many others. One of the other bands AC/DC once supported was KISS, on a short run of dates in late 1977 and early 1978.

When asked about which of the bands they supported he enjoyed the most in an interview with Skiddle in 2017, AC/DC’s drummer Phil Rudd said it was probably Aerosmith since they were like a real band. Then, he recalled their tour with KISS, which he didn’t enjoy much. The drummer described KISS as a ‘cartoon band‘ and implied that he didn’t take their music seriously.

Later, Rudd added that maybe what he said about KISS shouldn’t have been included in his interview. Yet, he also stated that they were free to put whatever they wanted since he didn’t care much about the other bands. The drummer kept talking about KISS and said they’ve never changed by calling them ‘hopeless.’

Here is what Phil Rudd said about KISS:

“Probably Aerosmith. They were more like the real thing. KISS were like a cartoon band. Maybe don’t print that. Actually, no, you can put what you like; I don’t really care anymore. KISS are the same as they always were – f*cking hopeless. It wasn’t really about the other bands for us, though. As I said, we were going in there to steal those audiences.”

Phil Rudd’s attack on KISS clearly showed that he wasn’t a fan of either the band’s music or flamboyant shows. He didn’t see them as a real rock band that put out real music.