Q and A: Gene Simmons does what he wants

KISS fans, remain calm: KISS is not retiring.

You have the assurance of KISS bassist and co-founder Gene Simmons, who will be playing Caesars Windsor on Aug. 25 — but not with his usual Detroit Rock City compadres.

Instead, Simmons will be performing under the billing of his solo project: Gene Simmons and His Band. A whole night of rock with Simmons front and centre.

We chatted with the 67-year-old God of Thunder about what’s going on with himself and the KISS empire.

Why a solo tour? Why now?

“I never did solo tours or performances in 44 years. KISS satisfied everything … But when we’re not playing, I like to keep busy.”

“By the way, this doesn’t mean anything in terms of KISS. KISS continues to tour the world. We have a great time together. But the band doesn’t play anywhere near as much as I like to get out there. This is just an excuse for me to play hooky.”

What can fans expect from a Gene Simmons solo show?

“For the nice people of Windsor, on the 25th of August — my birthday, as a matter of fact — I’ll be celebrating. We’re gonna shake the roof. We’re gonna do stuff that KISS has never done live. Stuff from my solo records that has never been played live.”

“We’re going to have staircases leading from the stage right into the audience. At any point in the set, I just might invite the ladies to get on stage and join me. Or if there’s a really talented kid who can play or sing, I’ll pull him up on stage and we’ll have us a real good time.”

“So whip out your cellphones, get it on video, and record it. I don’t know of any other band that does this.”