The US group hold the UK and its bands in high regard always wanted to be a part of the music scene there.
Drummer Eric Singer said: ”We have great music, but we don’t have what England do! As musicians we always liked the British bands, it’s interesting that we’ve always aspired to be English. I wanted to be in that kind of band, I wanted to play Hammersmith Odeon, live in England, dress the same way with cool Carnaby Street clothes. Like Queen, they looked grandiose and they sounded grandiose.
”The English bands made complete statements, they’d look at how they sounded and the philosophy of the songs connected to the essence of the band. American bands didn’t understand that.”
Bass player Gene Simmons – who completes the band with Paul Stanley and Tommy Thayer – says the group’s message is universal, and that liking the band is like sharing a language.
He told Metal Hammer magazine: ”It’s a tribal thing which bonds people together, from any walk of life. We’ve had the admiral of a nuclear sub, brain surgeons, politicians, you name it come to our shows. Even if you’ve never heard KISS before, you’ll walk away as a fan because you’ll get it. It’s fun and over the top.”