Classic Rock's Geoff Barton enjoyed an extended chat with KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons, this past Saturday, March 29th.

The full interview (plus another one Barton conducted with Kiss rhythm guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley) will be published in a future issue of Classic Rock magazine.

As a taster, we thought you might like to know what Simmons thought of Sharon Osbourne's recent anti-Gene outburst, delivered while Kiss and OZZY were vying for media attention Down Under in Oz:

Geoff Barton: While you were in Australia, Sharon Osbourne made some disparaging comments about you. [Sharon called Simmons ‘a silly man in a silly wig’.] Would you care to comment?

Gene Simmons: Oh, she’s terrific. Sharon is terrific. Any mother who – whether it’s imagined or not – believes that her family is being assailed by outsiders would do the same. No, she’s great. I’ve known Sharon and Ozzy for 30 or more years, and some of it… well, you know Sharon. Some of it is bluster. Because it makes great copy. Ozzy was touring at the same time as Kiss. He was playing the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, and the night before or the night after we played outdoors at the Formula One car-racing grand prix. I was quite cool with what Sharon said. I mean, part of it was that there was so much media attention for Kiss… I honestly didn’t know Ozzy was in town. Until Sharon delivered that soundbite, that is. That was the first I knew about it. 'He’s a twat, he wears women’s clothing,' whatever it was she said. That’s cool. It’s edgy. I love that."

For more info visit Classicrockmagazine.com