[Photo: Kiss bassist Gene Simmons, 59, proves he has lost non of his flare for theatrics while in town to announce a new show called Kiss: Carnival of Souls.]

By Sujin Thomas

GENE Simmons, bassist of legendary American rock band Kiss, has fired back at Nine Inch Nails' (NIN) Trent Reznor.

The two have been feuding since last month, when Reznor, who was in town to play a show on Monday, called Simmons an "old man who puts on make-up to entertain kids, like a clown going to work".

Simmons has previously responded by saying that "Trent grew up on Kiss and cut his teeth on our tunes".

And, now, Simmons - who is in Singapore to announce a new theatre show called Kiss: Carnival Of Souls - obviously wants the last word.

"If you're gonna talk the talk, then you're gonna have to walk the walk. If you're going to open your b**** mouth, do it (properly)," the 59-year-old says of Reznor.

During his interview with my paper at The Arts House, Simmons also purposely mispronounces Reznor's name, calling the 44-year-old singer "Trent Reiser".

Simmons then proves it's hard to know when to take him seriously.

The man - dressed in a crisp white shirt, jeans and cowboy boots emblazoned with his initials (but minus the trademark "demon" face paint and platform boots so revered by American Idol's Adam Lambert) - cracks a wide grin.

"I'm kidding. The band is actually terrific," he says of NIN.

You could practically hear his inward cackle as he makes the joke - after all, he made a point of attending the NIN show at Fort Canning Park.

Kiss made its name in the early 1970s, releasing a slew of hits like Rock And Roll All Nite and Kissin' Time, carried on their 18 studio albums to date.

Their elaborate live shows involved fire breathing, blood spitting, and pyrotechnics.

No wonder, then, that Kiss would do a Las Vegas show.

The show, which is estimated to cost between US$40 million ($58 million) and US$60 million, will be styled like a Cirque Du Soleil performance - with less talk by actors and more Kiss songs, says Simmons.

The band will combine new material with familiar classics under the direction of Simmons and Kiss singer-guitarist Paul Stanley, 57.

The production is a collaboration between Singapore entertainment company Storm Lion and American publishing company Radical.

On why the announcement was made in Singapore, Storm Lion's chief executive, Mr Edmund Shern, says: "We felt that it would be making a statement here. My hope is to be able to do a Kiss show here. It would be a milestone, culturally."

Simmons adds: "Kiss is not just a brand and a band. It's the epitome of theatrical rock."

myp@sph.com.sg

For more my paper stories click here.