Gene Simmons defended bands that underwent major lineup changes despite strong criticism from the fans, telling Mitch Lafon (via Blebbermouth):
“People think in terms of finite ideas.
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“‘AC/DC can’t exist without Bon Scott.’ Actually, they can. And, ‘They can’t exist without Brian [Johnson].’ No, actually they can; Axl did a fine job.
“And ‘Van Halen’ – who I discovered – ‘can’t exist without David Lee Roth.’ Actually, they got bigger with Sammy Hagar.
“So all these rules mean very little. And the fans will continue to argue with themselves, with each other — ‘I like this,’ ‘You like black, I like red.’
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“Well, that’s nice. But a band is a dynamic thing; it breathes, it’s alive, and it’s only as good as the people in it.
“Like any relationship, whether it’s marriage or friendship or a football game or a band, it’s only as good as the team involved.”