KISS mouthpiece Gene Simmons is never short of an egotistical quote, but his latest outburst gives a pretty big insight into the mind of the man who only last week tried to trademark his version of the ‘devil’s horns’ hand gesture – an attempt to literally claim ownership over rock music.
In a live tirade transcribed by Team Rock, the bassist described what he’d do if he traded his axe for the U.S. Presidency, if only for a week.
“The only way I would run for office is if you give me absolute power,” he begins. “Give it to me for a week. I would put pedophiles to death, no waiting. What would you do if someone touched your kid? You’d fucking kill them, right?”
So far he’s gone after a pretty soft target, but the next group to feel his wrath would probably include quite a few of his fellow musicians, it seems. And his plans for them – a little surprising, to say the least.
“Drug dealers? If you’re a heroin addict, you get a certificate, you report for duty and if you’re not clean in X amount of time you’re going to a work camp some place away from the civilization, chopping wood. Because you’re a vampire, sucking life out of society.
“Do I believe in the death penalty? You bet your fucking ass I do! But it’s inhumane how we do it. Do it the way the Chinese do it. You’re asleep in a bunk and [mimes shooting a gun]. It’s more humane.”
Continuing his socially conscious train of thought, he then touched on the delicate issues of terrorism.
“These people are young men and women who are convinced in their religious points of view.
“During World War II there were entire countries, tens of millions of people who believed in extreme philosophies. The Japanese were suicidal. And then Japan woke up and now Japan’s our closest friend. So is Germany. This, too, shall pass.”
And all of this from the man who once sang “When love rears its head, I wanna get on your case / Ooh baby, wanna put my log in your fireplace”.
