Kiss frontman and bass guitarist, Gene Simmons, is reportedly attempting to trademark the ‘devil horns’ rock hand gesture.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, on 9th June Simmons filed an application to the US Patent and Trademark Office. The rock singer has claimed to have popularised the iconic hand gesture during Kiss’ Hotter Than Hell tour in 1974.
It is said that the face-painted rock God is seeking to trademark the salute “entertainment, namely, live performances by a musical artist; personal appearances by a musical artist.”
Although Simmons is attempting to make his mark on the ‘devil horns’ it would appear that the gesture predates his timeline. John Lennon can be seen making a similar hand gesture on the cover of The Beatles’ 1966 single, ‘Yellow Submarine/Eleanor Rigby’.
Kiss recently had to cancel their Manchester Arena gig following a terror attack on the venue which left 22 dead and 58 injured.
In a statement about the incident, band members Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer said: “We are heartbroken by the atrocity committed against the innocent victims of Manchester,” the statement read. “We sadly will not be able to play Manchester Arena on the 30th May. We have always looked forward to these shows and our local fans, but in light of recent events a cancelled rock show seems of such little consequence.”
