As original KISS drummer Peter Criss gears up for his final U.S. performance on June 16th, he expressed that he is not optimistic about the current state of rock and its future.
His former bandmate Gene Simmons has made headlines in the past with proclamations that rock is dead and Criss appears to agree with that sentiment. He told Hi-Fi Way: The Pop Chronicles, "I think rock 'n' roll is over, personally. I'm a 21st Century guy and I have been around since the day that The Beatles were on stage, I've been around when music was Motown� I've been around!
"What's going on today ain't my cup tea, and that's another reason why I just want to do my shows and call it a day, because the great days of rock is over. The '60s and '70s were the times to be around. I saw Jimi Hendrix, I saw the real Who, the real Zeppelin, The Beatles and seen The Stones many times now that I know them and we're friends. Over the years, a lot has happened to me and I got to see all these great acts, and what I see today doesn't rock my cradle and doesn't do anything for me, and I don't care for a lot of the music."
He the added, "I think you had to be really creative back then and put out great album covers; you had to spend more time doing things. Even playing on stage for the first time, we had to come up with all those crazy stunts and levitating drums. We were early pioneers, and no one was doing that when we started out. Now everyone does it, so it isn't big news anymore.
"It is time for me to get off the train, as it's not a great ride anymore. I don't go out to concerts much anymore because I don't enjoy myself because I get constantly harassed, people with phones wanting to take pictures. I can't really sit and enjoy the concert or have a good time, so I'm more of a homebody these days. The world has changed, my friend."
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