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Gene Simmons’ opinion on Angus Young
Gene Simmons had the chance to see and help many bands in the early days of their careers, trying to get them record deals and also taking them on the road as opening acts for Kiss. One of those groups was AC/DC, which at the time was led by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young, the backbone of the band’s sound.
One of the most outspoken musicians in the business, Simmons has always revealed what he really thinks about other bands and artists. Over the decades, he has shared his opinion on many musicians, including the legendary guitarist Angus Young.
What is Gene Simmons’ opinion on Angus Young
Gene Simmons has been a fan of AC/DC and guitarist Angus Young ever since he first had the chance to see them perform at a small club in the United States, when they were still relatively unknown. After the show, he told the guitarist that he was “the guy” and invited him to dinner, promising them that Kiss would take them on the road.
“I saw them playing this really small club in L.A. I happened to be there. And all I remember is being close to the stage, ’cause I love that — I wanna feel it. I wanna feel the chest kind of cave in when the bass and the kick drum hits it. I don’t wanna be at a safe distance. If it’s too loud, you’re too old. So I’m in the front. And even after the blackouts between songs, there’s Angus (Young) just running around on stage, not posing — just kind of feeling it, like somebody in a trance or something.”
“(I said) ‘You’re the guy. What’s your name?’ ‘Angus.’ And then he smiled. And I’ll never forget it, he didn’t have front teeth. I guess at that point they couldn’t afford it. So I said, ‘Let me take you a few blocks away. I wanna sit down and talk with you.’ So he did. I’ll never forget it, we went to a place called Mel’s Diner, which is in some parts of the world real famous.”
He continued:
“And there we are at 1 a.m. in the morning. To some people, I’m kind of a big deal, so all the waitresses and everybody gathered around the table. And at that point, they had yet to know who Angus and the boys were, but it was just Angus and myself. ‘What would you like, Mr. Simmons?’ All that kind of stuff. I said, ‘Ask my friend first.’ I’ll never forget it, Angus asked for a frankfurter — instead of a hot dog — and beets.”
“And they looked at each other, and I said, ‘Get the man what he wants.’ So they did. They brought it back. And I’ll never forget, Angus picked up the hot dog without the bun and started biting into it on the sides of his mouth because the two front teeth were missing. And I said to him — I can still remember most of the conversation — ‘You guys are great. I’m gonna make some calls. You’re going out on tour with us,” Gene Simmons recalled in an interview with Triple M in 2021.
Gene Simmons said AC/DC was Kiss’ best opening act
AC/DC was Kiss’ opening act in 1977, when the American band was promoting the album “Alive II”. Four decades later, in 2018, when asked on SiriusXM which was the best band that had ever opened for Kiss, Gene quickly chose the Australian group.
“Best set? AC/DC on their first tour. A band that didn’t pay attention, shares the same philosophy. No matter what any other band is doing, to thine own self be true. I’ve said it before but it’s more truer now than ever. A lot of the people look the same and act the same and do the same thing. Rap, country — there’s a lot of sameness going on. Every once in a while, you see a band like AC/DC. Nobody’s like them.”
“We’d like to think that we’re unique in that way too. Unique to have your own fingerprint because Mother Nature knows best. There’s no other fingerprint on earth like us and bands should march to the beat of their own drummer. See what I did there (pointing to drummer Eric Singer)?” Gene Simmons said.
Besides Angus Young and Bon Scott, the band’s lineup at the time also included Phil Rudd on drums, Malcolm Young on rhythm guitar, and Cliff Williams on bass, who had recently joined the group after replacing Mark Evans, who had been fired.
His favorite AC/DC album is “For Those About to Rock”
Although AC/DC has albums that are generally more acclaimed and are among fans’ favorites, such as “Highway to Hell” (1979) and “Back in Black” (1980), when asked by The Quietus in 2015 to list some of his favorite albums of all time, Gene Simmons chose “For Those About to Rock” (1981), the second album the band recorded with Brian Johnson on vocals.
In the interview he explained that he chose that record because it’s the “definitive anthemic album” and even though “Back In Black” had better songs in his opinion, he thinks that in this second album that the group created a bigger identity with Johnson. “The graphics and that cannon and the title – and it’s why they always end their set with it – it’s anthemic. ‘For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)’ means something, it’s a connection. It’s like nationhood. Put your fist up in the air and say, ‘Yeah! This is what I believe in!’ ‘You Shook Me’ doesn’t have that, it’s just a rockin’ great song,” he said.
Although the band has never featured many songs from that album in its setlists over the years, the title track has never left the setlist. According to Setlist.fm, the band has performed the song live more than 1,200 times so far.
Gene also liked to see Axl Rose fronting AC/DC
Gene is also a fan of Guns N’ Roses, and when he was asked about Axl Rose filling in for Brian Johnson on AC/DC’s final tour dates in 2016, he praised the singer and said he liked the choice. “I think it was fantastic, Axl in AC/DC was the best thing that could have happened for both bands, I don’t know how long it will last, but I heard the shows were great, and Axl and the AC/DC guys are really cool.”
“Kiss called AC/DC to open the shows on their first tour. Among the bands that have had their first tour with us are AC / DC, Rush, Cheap Trick, Motley Crue, Bon Jovi, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden… the list is very long,” he told Montana’s The Eagle 105.7 in 2018.
The Kiss bassist and singer has already explained that, unlike bands such as AC/DC, which stayed true to their musical identity by continuing to write the kind of music they loved and became known for, Kiss adapted to changing trends and eras. “By the way, I don’t do that. I go, ‘That’s their journey. This is ours. I prefer to make dollars. The only thing I care about is a brand new five year old who experiences Kiss or the imagery, even if it’s not the music, just somehow gets seduced and beguiled by that,” Gene Simmons said in an interview with Billy Corgan in 2025.
