KISS bassist Gene Simmons revealed that he intends to continue playing with Gene Simmons Band after their ‘End of the World Tour’ during a recent interview with SPIN magazine.
One of the most successful touring acts of the past half-century, KISS is getting ready to say goodbye to the stage with their final concerts on the ‘End of the World Tour.’ On January 31, 2019, the tour began in Vancouver, Canada. However, the band rescheduled most of the shows that would take place in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The band just finished the Latin America and the United States legs of the tour. On May 19, 2022, their last performance took place in Daytona Beach. KISS has been reading to start the European leg on June 1, 2022, in Dortmund, Germany. The band keeps adding new dates to the ongoing tour, but they plan to end it by early 2023. During a recent interview, Gene Simmons talked about his plans after KISS’ farewell.
The bassist said he has a few non-music businesses, like Rock & Brews, an American restaurant chain he co-founded. Simmons doesn’t intend to end his music career entirely, though. He still plans to continue playing with Gene Simmons Band, with whom he has done about 50 shows so far. The bassist sees it as a completely new experience since he doesn’t need to put as much effort as in KISS shows. Simmons thinks it is the best time to end KISS as his body will not take it anymore.
Here are Gene Simmons’ plans after KISS farewell:
“Well, we have Rock & Brews, which is becoming more successful, and quite a few other businesses, which have no relation to sticking my tongue out. And at some point, after the band stops touring, I may go out with the Gene Simmons Band. We did about 50 shows. It’s a lot of fun, a totally different experience. It’s like being in the Ramones or U2 or something. You put on sneakers and a T-shirt, and that’s all the work.
So your heart doesn’t have to go, boom, boom, boom, boom, like it’s going to thump out of your chest, like at KISS shows. If you are a blues artist, you can do that until you’re in your mid-’80s, the way B.B. King did at 88. Are you kidding me? Me walking around on stage with dragon boots and all that, even past 75, I can’t imagine it. The physical wear and tear, your heart just is not going to be able to take it. I defy these guys half my age to get into my outfit; see how long you’ll last on stage.”
While on tour, KISS will also have its last performance onboard. The 2022 edition of KISS’ annual ‘KISS Kruise‘ will sail from Los Angeles to Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada, Mexico, from October 29, 2022, to November 3, 2022.
