AC/DC are the latest rockers to challenge a recent claim by KISS bassist Gene Simmons that rock is dead.
“With all respect to the lad,” singer Brian Johnson tells Ultimate Classic Rock. “I think he’s terribly wrong for a start. I really do. I don’t think anybody should have the nerve to stand there and just say that a certain genre of music has just ff—- disappeared overnight.
“It’s not because ‘I [Gene] say so,’ OK,” he added. “Well, I’m here to tell you, Gene, you’re wrong. And I’m saying it’s alive and kicking. My name’s Brian. How do you do?”
AC/DC made the remarks as they prepare to release their latest album, “Rock Or Bust”, on December 2.
“For performers who are also songwriters — the creators — for rock music, for soul, for the blues — it's finally dead,” the 65-year old Simmons told his son, Nick, during a recent interview, repeating verbatim comments he’s made over the past year. “Rock is finally dead.”
Simmons, who has just published a marketing advice book, also suggested kids give up trying to learn instruments or to attempt to make it in the music industry.
KISS have released just two albums in the past 15 years as they forgo creating new music in favor of playing the classic tracks that defined their career.
2009’s “Sonic Boom” and 2012’s “Monster” are two of just four of the band’s 20 album-catalog to fail to achieve gold status in the US for sales of 500,000 copies.
Read more of Simmons comments here.
KISS are currently winding down up their first Las Vegas residency, “KISS Rocks Vegas”, at The Joint inside the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.
See also:
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Search KISS at hennemusic
