Gene Simmons says it takes a real man to wear his platform heels. In a new interview with ET, the KISS bassist singled out Beyoncé alongside Bono, Mick Jagger, and Bruno Mars as beloved performers who “would pass out within a half hour” if they tried to perform in his outfits.
“You got to understand — we love Jagger and Bruno Mars and Bono and anybody else, they’re all great, but if you put those guys — Beyoncé, put Beyoncé in my outfit with seven-to-eight-inch platform heels, dragon boots that each weigh as much as a bowling ball,” he said. “The entire outfit, studs, leather and armor is about 40 pounds. The guitar and the studs is 12 pounds by itself. Then, you got to spit fire, fly through the air, and do that for two hours. They would pass out within a half hour.”
Granted, there isn’t much evidence that Jagger, Bono, and Mars could put on a lively performance in that much equipment. But with respect to the longest tongue in show business, some of Beyoncé’s most iconic shows came when she was carrying extra weight — sometimes as much as two small humans worth. At the 2017 Grammys, Queen Bey delivered the performance of the night while pregnant with twins.
She also wore what appeared to be an incredibly heavy crown, and while she didn’t fly, she did sing upside down. As for spitting fire, have you heard her power through “Be Alive” with daughter Blue Ivy at the 2022 Academy Awards?
Elsewhere in the interview, Simmons spoke about why KISS be coming to the end of their touring days. “We are the hardest-working band out there and take pride in it,” he said. “And not every band should be out there too long. You’ve got to have some pride and not stay too long. Always keep them wanting. I’m the most blessed and grateful guy in the world to be able to be in a band where I can wear more makeup and higher heels than your girlfriend.”
If you want to catch Simmons and the rest of KISS live, you can book your seat here. But if you’d rather enjoy the spirit of KISS from the comfort of your own home, you might look into their signature “Cold Gin” liquor.