Kiss’ Gene Simmons Thinks Axl Rose Deserves a Beatdown

No matter what the subject, Gene Simmons is not one to hold his famously long tongue. And lately, the outspoken, fire-breathing Kiss bassist hasn’t been shy about what he thinks of Guns N' Roses singer Axl Rose.

According to Simmons, Rose is to blame for GNR being underachievers — and that some physical discipline would have gone a long way in getting him and the group back on track.

"Guns N' Roses could have been the best band in the world," Simmons told Music-news.com, "and the reason they're not is because of Axl Rose. Drugs, heroin, alcohol and all that, but ultimately it falls on Axl Rose's shoulders."

Simmons added, "A good beating would have helped. When you misbehaved as a little kid, there's someone there to give you what for. Then, when you become a grown-up, who's there to set you straight?"

Rose is no stranger to criticism, and he's well aware of what's been said about him since GNR's breakthrough in the late 1980s. In an episode of VH1 Classic's 'That Metal Show' from earlier this month, Rose referenced "two decades of people talking, and most of the time, they're talking about things [that] somebody who had a bias started or said, [and] they could have said jokingly."

Simmons' comments, though, sure sound more like a tongue-lashing than something said with tongue planted firmly in cheek.