The Kiss singer and bassist was touched by AC/DC’s delicate financial situation and took them on a major American tour
THE Kiss his path crossed with that of several bands that would become big in the future. In addition to Gene Simmons credited as the “discoverer” of Van Halennames like Rush, Iron Maiden, Happy Jovi, Rammstein AND AC/DCamong many others, he opened shows for the masked group when they were still looking for their respective place in the sun.
The case of the surname mentioned, in particular, is quite curious. Simmons says he met the group, formed in Australia, when its members were experiencing financial difficulties, largely due to their inability to establish a loyal audience in the United States despite several attempts. This happened in the mid-70s, before the consecration with albums like Power (1978) e Highway to Hell (1979).
Seeing the quality in his colleagues’ work, Gene brought them to open part of the tour he promoted I live II (1977), Masked’s second live album. In an interview with Adam Carolla (go Ultimate guitar), the singer and bassist recalled the first time he saw – and was impressed by – the band led by the guitarist brothers Angus AND Malcolm Youngat the Troubadour, Los Angeles.
After the show, Simmons took the group out to lunch at a restaurant called Ben Frank’s. There he noticed something that surprised him: talent Angus Youngwho moments earlier had mesmerized the audience with furious solos, was missing his front teeth.
“He looks at the waitress and says, ‘I’d like a hot dog and beans.’ And he adds, ‘without the bun.’ immediately, in front of the other people, he took the hot dog, opened his mouth and began to chew from the side because there were no teeth in front.
Sensitized, the Kiss singer and bassist decided that from then on he would help AC/DC. The idea was to make the Australian band more popular in the United States, and it worked.
“I told him right away, ‘You’re coming on tour with us. The rest of the country doesn’t know who you are. You have to go on tour.’ We brought them in and every night they played with all their heart, like it was time. We had to go out and say, ‘OK, we can’t just do our show for the sake of doing it.’
Paul Stanley also loves AC/DC
Gene Simmons isn’t the only member of Kiss to publicly show respect for AC/DC. In a 2023 interview with Classic rock (go Igor Miranda’s website), the guitarist and also singer Paul Stanley praised the Australian-formed group.
“AC/DC are the real deal and I knew that from the first time I saw them, at the Whiskey a Go Go in Los Angeles, in the mid-seventies. They were bold and the adrenaline level was crazy. The amount of Energy that Angus had to expend on stage was incomprehensible.”
+++ READ MORE: Why AC/DC isn’t finished after losing almost everyone recently
+++ READ MORE: The AC/DC song that Angus Young “suffers” to play live
+++ READ MORE: Rock is dead and young people don’t even know Pearl Jam, according to Gene Simmons
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Source: Terra
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
