In light of the war in Ukraine, Gene Simmons of KISS thinks all bands should stop their planned shows in Russia. The rocker was asked about it by TMZ.

Russia officially invaded Ukraine on the morning of Thursday, February 24. The New York Times reports that the Ukrainian cities of Kharkiv, Kherson, Mariupol, Mykolaiv and the capital of Kyiv are currently bearing the brunt of the attacks.

A TMZ reporter mentioned to Simmons that several bands are still planning to go to Russia at the moment, to which he replied, “We’re not going…there’s a bigger issue than organizing a rock concert.”

The musician noted that he thinks the only possible justification for performing a show in Russia would be to make political statements during the show, which he generally opposes. “But it’s beyond politics. It’s just madness,” he added.

As for bands that don’t protest Russia, Simmons is confident they will be scrutinized by their fans.

“I mean we faced the same problem with Botswana during the apartheid era. We were offered millions of dollars, but we said, ‘No, we can’t go, because if a Western band goes in there, telling you it’s good for apartheid and all the racism and lack of justice. So we said no,” Simmons recalled. “There were bands that went there, and they paid the price. Their fans turned against them.”

The shows Simmons was referring to were a series of concerts at the Sun City resort in South Africa. At the time, the country had a racially segregated apartheid government, which lasted until the early 1990s, and many musicians protested the nation. Steven Van Zandt (aka Little Steven) actually founded the group Artists United Against Apartheid in 1985.

“The problem is that if a Western band plays Russia, it gives credit – a political win for Putin’s outright lies,” Simmons added.

Ultimately, he recommends bands not play shows there. “Stop drinking Russian vodka, stop that,” he concluded.

See discussion below.

KISS will head to Europe in early June, but Russia is not included in their tour itinerary. Groups that have canceled Russian performances so far include Slipknot, Iron Maiden, Green Day, My Chemical Romance, Bring Me the Horizon, Iggy Pop and many more. Behemoth, Pussy Riot from Russia, Jinjer from Ukraine and a few other groups have provided assistance to Ukraine to help during the crisis.

Gene Simmons Thinks All Bands Should Stop Russian Performances