KISS' Gene Simmons - "I'm Looking For The Next U2 And LED ZEPPELIN"
March 10, 2009, 15 years ago
KISS' Gene Simmons will be in Toronto, Ontario later today (March 11th) to make a keynote speech at Canadian Music Week. He's taking a break from recording KISS' first studio album in 10 years.
He noted to Theglobeandmail.com, the band is in no hurry to finish the album any time soon, not when Simmons has so many other pots on the stove, including his newly resurrected record label, Simmons Records. Belinda Stronach, now back in the fold as executive vice-chair of Magna International, and a silent investor in Simmons Records.
“I'd like to sign three acts the first year,” says Simmons. “I'm looking for the next U2 and LED ZEPPELIN. The only thing that matters is ‘Do you have the goods?'“ he says, but adds “it's not enough to be [just] a band.”Meanwhile, he's getting set for a stadium tour of South America with KISS, before a swing back to Canada for a few gigs in July. Tomorrow, during Simmons's keynote speech at Canadian Music Week, expect a lot more talk about 360-degree marketing, branding and making the impossible possible. As he likes to say, “TV, music, politics, we're all in the same business. You need to use any and every tool possible in this really difficult economic period.”
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