Gene Simmons recently chatted with The Sunday Project, explaining why KISS should quit while ‘the quitting’s still good,’ pointing out the band’s upcoming farewell tour.
The bassist also made a point to criticize some bands for ‘staying on stage too long’ and never knowing when to step away while revealing why he wanted to walk away from KISS so much, stating:
“Well, look, at a certain point, Mother Nature takes over no matter what your plans are. And at a certain time, you’ve gotta have the dignity and pride but also the love and admiration of your fans to know when it’s time to call it quits. We’ve all seen boxers that stay in the ring too long, and we’ve all seen bands that stay on the stage too long.
So, I’m still looking pretty damn good. But that’s not the point. The point is the physical nature of what we do is gonna limit how long we do it. And we remember we introduce ourselves with ‘You wanted the best. You got the best. The hottest band in the world.”
So, it was important for Simmons to wrap things up while they were still ‘the hottest band in the world’:
“I don’t wanna be in one of those bands where the fans just say, ‘Oh, you should have seen them back in 1804 when they were really rocking.’ Right here, right now, either be a champion or get off the stage.
So we’re gonna quit while the quitting’s good, while we’re on top. And gratefully, I don’t know how to verbalize what an amazing journey it’s been, and it’s only due to the fans. Without them, I’d be asking the next person in line if they’d like some fries with that. Don’t kid yourself!”
Gene had recently made the headlines after a show in Brazil gone a bit wrong, as the 73-year-old bassist struggled to perform and had to take a seat to carry on with the show before bandmate Paul Stanley intervened. So, it might be safe to assume the incident probably played a bit of a role in his current eagerness to end things while ‘still looking his best.’
