Gene Simmons has confirmed to MusicRadar that Kiss will not be playing a full concert at their fan club convention in Las Vegas in November — but says that he and other members of the band may still perform on stage at this event.
Billed as Kiss Army Storms Vegas, this three-day event will be held at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas from 14-16 November.
Simmons and fellow Kiss co-founder Paul Stanley are confirmed to appear in Vegas along with the band’s lead guitarist Tommy Thayer and former Kiss guitarist Bruce Kulick.
“The Vegas thing is really more a Kiss convention,” Simmons says.
“The fans are taking over the Virgin hotel. And I should point out, you don't have to be a virgin to attend. You see what I just did there?”
He adds: “So we're showing up. I think most of us will. I know Bruce Kulick will be there, and Tommy Thayer and Paul [Stanley] and myself.”
But as he explains, there is no plan for a full-blown Kiss show.
“We may jump up and jam with other guys,” he says. “We may jump up on stage and do it. It's very loose, very conversational.
“We’re very, very open to guest stars jumping up. There'll be other bands and lot of question and answer [sessions].
“So, more a fan event.”
Simmons also suggests that he may perform at the Vegas event with his current touring group, The Gene Simmons Band.
“It's flexible enough,” he says, “and you don't have to worry about fireworks or stage lights. Just do it.”
He says that this band is run on a casual basis.
“We don't have a PR agency. There's no manager. There's nothing. It's just playing.
“I'm not pushing it, but the word’s getting out there. Out of the blue, somebody just sent an offer for me to headline a festival in Canada someplace.”
He also says that The Gene Simmons Band’s live repertoire is continually evolving
“Believe it or not, we do a really good version of [The Beatles’] And Your Bird Can Sing. We just did it for shits and giggles.”
And they can play various songs from Simmons’ 1978 solo album.
“If somebody goes, ‘Hey, why don't you do Radioactive?’ We can do that. We all know the tunes.”
