Kiss bassist and vocalist Gene Simmons reports that he and the band are writing new material.

He said back in March that he had no inclination to record a new Kiss album due to the fact some people would “steal it and download it and file share it.”

And while he maintains that stance, he says things are going on behind the scenes.

He tells the Michael Cavacini blog: “There’s some writing going on. Not too long ago I wrote a song called Your Wish Is My Command.

“It sounds anthemic, like something that might have come off Love Gun, maybe. But I’m not incentivised.

“The idea that you work your ass off and then someone with freckles on their face decides they want to download your music and file share – that’s not what I work for.

“How’d you like to be a plumber, come over somebody’s house and work all day to fix their plumbing and then when it’s time to get paid they say, ‘No, I just wanted to say thank you.’ No.

Simmons adds: “I’ve heard people say, ‘Oh, you have enough money.’ That’s what I need – an 18-year-old kid telling me when enough is enough.

“It doesn’t affect me at all. And it doesn’t affect the Stones or U2 – a lot of the bands that do well. There’s only a handful, actually.

“The saddest thing of all is that the next great bands, with the talent and the charisma and all that stuff, will never have the chance that we did – because there’s no music industry.

“There’s no way for them to pay the rent. They’re going to have to give away their music, practically, for free.”

Kiss are currently on tour across Europe and will play Dortmund’s Westfallenhalle, Germany, tonight (May 12).

May 12: Dortmund Westfallenhalle, Germany

May 13: Stuttgart Schleyerhalle, Germany

May 15: Torino Pala Alpitour, Italy

May 16: Bologna Unipol Arena, Italy

May 18: Munich Olympiahalle, Germany

May 20: Brno BCC, Czech Republic

May 21: Vienna Stadthalle, Austria

May 23: Franfurt Festhalle, German

May 24: Rotterdam Ahoy, Holland

May 27: Glasgow SSE Hydro, UK

May 28: Birmingham Barclaycard Arena, UK

May 30: Manchester Arena, U

May 31: London O2 Arena, UK

Jul 14: Bridgeview Chicago Open Air, IL

Jul 15: Hinckley Grand Casino, MN

Jul 16: Bridgeview Chicago Open Air, IL

Kiss welcomed to Helsinki by statue tribute