June 17, 2008 10:51

Download headliners Kiss: 'Fans have killed the record industry'

Gene Simmonds says band won't release new songs until downloading stops

Download festival headliners Kiss, who played the top spot at the festival last Friday (June 13), have declared that the record industry is "dead".

Bassist Gene Simmonds explained that his band were refusing to record new material until illegal downloading ceases, calling the act of downloading "uncivilised".

"The record industry is dead," the Daily Star reported the singer saying. "It's six feet underground and unfortunately the fans have done this.

"They've decided to download and file-share. There is no record industry around so we're going to wait until everybody settles down and becomes civilised. As soon as the record industry pops its head up we'll record new material."

Singer Paul Stanley went on to defend the band's policy of only playing old hits live. "With any classic band that hits the road, the last thing you want to hear is their new songs," he said. "Trends come, fashion comes. But we don't go away. We're like herpes."

Watch the press conference where these quotes came from below now.