GENE SIMMONS Says JIMMY PAGE Gave Him The 'Highest Compliment' About His Bass Playing

During an appearance on the latest episode of "The Adam Carolla Show", Gene Simmons reflected on what he called "one of the most iconic moments" of his life involving another legendary rocker. The 74-year-old KISS bassist/vocalist said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Jimmy Page, for those of you who are 20 years old, the guy created, invented more riffs than any other person on the planet. LED ZEPPELIN, every [song] — just more riffs than anybody, than anybody. Every song was like that. So he came to see [KISS perform] quite a few times, and we became friendly, and I introduced [my son] Nick to him, who was so awed, he started crying in front of Page. 'Jimmy, say hello to my son Nick.' 'Oh, how are you?' He's crying his heart out; he didn't know what to say. Of course, Nick is gonna torture me now, because I'm embarrassing him. So, Page came to see us the first time when we played [London's] Wembley — he came to see us some other times when we were there — and he came up to me after the show, my hand to God, and said, without doing an English accent, he says, 'Mate, you can give [THE WHO's original bassist John] Entwistle a run for his money.' And I was just about ready to pass out. That's not true, of course, but the fact that he would even say that. [That's the] highest compliment. For me, forget about it. The only higher one might be [Paul] McCartney coming over and saying, 'You're doing a good job,' because nobody played bass the way McCartney does, because you can hear a song and remember the bass parts that McCartney played."

In a 2018 interview with Music Radar, Simmons was asked for his opinion on the pick-versus-fingerstyle question when it comes to bass playing. He responded: "Respectfully, studio musicians who play with their fingers live have no idea that we can't hear what they're playing, because there's no actual definition on the note that's coming out. You can do that and love it and have no fuckin' idea what he's playing, but you love that low end, or you can be like Chris Squire and have a very bright sound, where you can hear the attack and therefore hear the note that's actually being played. I mean, a piano is a percussive instrument, and you can hear every single note because there's a definition when the player hits the note."

Gene and his solo band played their second concert of 2024 last month at the Summer Breeze festival at Memorial Da América Latina in São Paulo, Brazil.

In addition to Simmons, the GENE SIMMONS BAND members include guitarists Brent Woods (WILDSIDE, SEBASTIAN BACH, VINCE NEIL) and Zach Throne (COREY TAYLOR) alongside drummer Brian Tichy (LYNCH MOB, THE DEAD DAISIES, WHITESNAKE, BILLY IDOL, FOREIGNER, PRIDE & GLORY, SLASH'S SNAKEPIT).

The GENE SIMMONS BAND played a number of KISS classics alongside covers of MOTÖRHEAD's "Ace Of Spades" and LED ZEPPELIN's "Communication Breakdown".

Three days earlier, the GENE SIMMONS BAND performed at the grand opening of the Rock & Brews restaurant at the Ilani dining and entertainment destination in Ridgefield, Washington. It marked the KISS bassist/vocalist's first live appearance since the legendary rock act concluded its "End Of The Road" farewell tour.

GENE SIMMONS BAND will next launch a European tour on July 27 in Kuopio, Finland.

Back in 2017 and 2018, the GENE SIMMONS BAND played a number of shows with a lineup that consisted of Simmons alongside guitarist/bassist Jeremy Asbrock, guitarist Ryan Cook, guitarist Phil Shouse and drummer Brent Fitz.

KISS played the final concert of its "End Of The Road" farewell tour on December 2, 2023 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.