Gene Simmons: 'I'm not patient enough to make hits anymore'

KISS frontman Gene Simmons puts the group's lack of recent hits down to his reluctance to spend time in recording studios.

Despite being one of America's most popular live rock acts for four decades, KISS have not had a newly recorded track enter the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart since their single Rise To It limped to number 81 in 1990.

The 66-year-old musician blames himself for his band's chart decline, telling British newspaper The Guardian, "I will say that I think, in hindsight, we never spent enough time in the studio.

"We've always been more of a live band. Personally, I don't have the patience to be in the studio."

Although he's averse to put in the hours perfecting a record himself, Gene admires those who can spend long periods tweaking their musical output.

"I admire bands like Pink Floyd and the Beatles who'd spend enormous amounts of time honing their craft, but I don't have that DNA in my system," he added.

Instead he regards the group's primary strength as being in performing live, as the band are known for its members' distinctive facepaint and ostentatious shows.

A new film will document their 2014 residency at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Gene tells the publication that the band's Las Vegas shows did originally feature them arriving on stage on a flying saucer, but they abandoned the stunt for safety reasons.

"We tried descending on a flying saucer thing from the back of the hall," he said. "There was no net; if you fall, you die. We only did that once or twice. I still fly up to the top of the rafters and spit fire, there's enough life-threatening stuff during the show without adding something else."

The concert film, titled KISS Rocks Vegas is scheduled for release in the U.S. on 25 May (16).