The feud between Gene Simmons and Axl Rose: “A good beating would have helped”
If rock and roll was a purely musical medium, it probably would be nothing. It’s a controversial statement, but probably, at least partially true. When did you ever see a wallflower making it big on the boards of the industry? The fact of the matter is that rock music thrives equally on drama as much as pretentious theatrics, and there’s no one who embodies that better than Gene Simmons.
For better or worse, the Kiss frontman has never been one for stalking the sidelines. Indeed, if ever there is a controversy that could arise, he makes a beeline for it, often throwing himself into the very heart of it, regardless of whether it warrants his input. There’s no denying that Simmons has never shied away from voicing opinions on his fellow rock stars, both good and very much not so. And in that spirit, there is one in particular who feels the full cut of his spite straight to the jugular.
The unfortunate recipient of Simmons’ blasting sentiments would be Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose, whom the former rocker slammed in a 2011 interview by simply stating, “Guns N’ Roses could’ve been the biggest band in the world—and the reason they’re not is because of Axl Rose.” Let’s be fair, Rose is hardly an angel in this scenario either, because the crux of Simmons’ fury was based on the band’s declining success due to the frontman’s difficult behaviour… but there definitely still was a sense of pot calling the kettle black.
But, as in most cases, Simmons wasn’t done yet. After claiming that rock and roll was “a marathon, not a sprint” and that Rose was not cut out for the industry, when asked what the fated frontman could’ve done to change that path, the Kiss bassist’s response? “A good beating would have helped”.
While they aren’t exactly words to live by, Simmons’ point was that Rose was getting simply too big for his breeches, and in doing so was actually at the heart of his band’s downfall. Silence also spoke dividends in this case, as despite accusations of being brash, loud, and controlling, Rose never actually publicly responded to the lashing—he either dismissed Simmons as spouting nonsense, or took it as food for thought.
Of course, the irony is that the Kiss frontman himself is no stranger to some pretty venomous statements being fired his way, whether by his own bandmates or further afield. Adding to this, his behaviour at times has also left an awful lot to be desired, and, as such, you just can’t shake the notion that perhaps Simmons is not quite practising what he preaches.
It may be an uncomfortable truth, but this is exactly the kind of drama and feuds that make rock and roll the force of nature it is, with figures like Simmons and Rose both leading the charge. They’re the people we love to hate, and as much as they may push their, and our, morals to the limit, deep down we know that beyond the music, the mesmerising lore of rock and roll would be nothing without characters like them.
