KISS musician Paul Stanley says rock stars shouldn't look "like your neighbour".

The rocker and his bandmates have built their career on their huge personalities, distinctive make-up and elaborate stage shows, and Paul thinks a band that dress in regular clothes and don't make an effort "doesn't deserve your money".

The singer-and-guitarist said: "The notion of a rock star looking like your neighbour doesn't deserve your money. Whether it's music or movies, people want something larger than life. Why aren't there more around now? Maybe because it's not that easy, it's a craft."

Despite there being a huge emphasis from the band — which also includes Gene Simmons, Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer — on their image, Stanley is adamant their music is always his number one priority.

He said: "Ultimately it's got to be about the music. All my heroes when I was small were preaching rock 'n' roll. It was like church, and I'm glad to be up there with a spectacle, but when I saw Humble Pie, Derek and The Dominoes, Led Zeppelin, they were all about the songs.

"We may have taken it over the top and turned it into something else, but at the heart and soul of it, we're a rock 'n' roll band and we understand the concept of writing a song, not an exercise in j***ing off.

"A song should be, by the second chorus, familiar enough that you can sing along."