Gene Simmons recently snubbed criticism of his bass playing skills. During a new conversation with the Zak Kuhn Show, he said:
“I’m comfortable in my own skin. 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.”
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.”
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 28th in Tallahassee and includes a stop in Red Bank, New Jersey, on May 5th, finishing on May 24th in Houston.
