Gene Simmons Responds To Criticism Of His Bass Playing, ‘I Don’t Care’

During a new conversation with the Zak Kuhn Show, Gene Simmons dismissed criticism of his bass skills.

“I’m comfortable in my own skin,” Simmons said of his bass playing. “I know how good I am. And I know my shortcomings. And what other people have to say about it is, well, they’re unqualified to have an opinion.”

The rocker explained, “They haven’t been there, and they haven’t done that. I listen and I appreciate people’s point of view, but it doesn’t pierce my thick skin. Doesn’t mean anything.”

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In a Guitar World interview, Simmons revealed that he doesn’t like ‘show-offs’ in music. He noted, “I don’t consider myself – and was never really interested in being – a bass virtuoso. I don’t like show-offs in music. I’m much more attracted to things that are memorable. It’s part of the joy of music for me.”

The musician continued, “You can be a jazz player and be respected by musicians, but the rest of the world doesn’t care. We’re going to play a game: name a jazz player that means something.”

“How about John McLaughlin? He’s a great player. But here’s a question: can you hum any melody that he’s ever played on a solo? Of course not. All due respect, but that music is intended to show off how well you play – but I don’t care about that. The hardest thing to do is write a good simple song or riff. That’s really hard,” Gene further shared.

Simmons didn’t just criticize jazz guitarists; he also mentioned issues closer to his own genre. He said, “There are an awful lot of amazing bass players, like Jaco Pastorius and the jazz guys. Or guys like Flea, who is really good on his instrument, but I can’t remember anything he plays – and I also do not like the sound of a bass being slapped.”

Simmons and his solo band, the Gene Simmons Band, recently announced a spring 2025 tour. The five-date tour starts on April 28 in Tallahassee and includes a stop in Red Bank, New Jersey, on May 5, finishing on May 24 in Houston.