TORONTO - KISS bassist Gene Simmons did his best Phil Donahue yesterday. He roved the aisles in a Toronto hotel ballroom with a microphone in hand, no script, and interacting with audience members during his keynote address at Canadian Music Week.

Ultimately, his message was the same as the one last November while he was in town to announce that his recently relaunched Simmons Records (simmonsrecords.com), in partnership with Universal Music Canada and business woman Belinda Stronach, had arrived in Toronto to sign three new bands a year to so-called "360 deals" that would include recording, touring and merchandising/licensing.

"My notion is that Canada and specifically Toronto could be and should be, and -- if we all do what we're supposed to do -- will be the centre of pop culture on planet Earth," said Simmons, decked out in a black leather jacket, jeans and steel-toed boots. "And I'll tell you why. Ireland, out of all places, gave the world U2. What do you think they've got that you haven't got? Nothing. Really. Your weather is actually better than Ireland and you've got just as much musical talent and more. It really is here. I believe the next great act is right here in Canada."

He later elaborated with reporters during a question-and-answer period.

"You want to be able to compete against U2 and the Stones and the biggest bands in the world, that's what we're looking for. And it doesn't have to be rock 'n' roll. Jonas Brothers? You bet your ass.

"If I find another group of cute young kids that can write their own songs, or another Chris Brown without the physical cruelty, you'd bet we'd do that in a heartbeat. But this guy should definitely wind up in jail, this kid Chris Brown. You lift your hand to a woman and you should become somebody's girlfriend fast (in prison)."

Simmons said he's talking to MuchMusic about doing a reality show with his three newly signed bands, but he was less forthcoming about whether he was about to sign Toronto rock-hip-hop band Down With Webster, after expressing enthusiasm about them last November with Sun Media. He did confirm he was going to see DWW again tonight and have dinner with them.

"This band has just got it, whatever that charismatic thing is, and I'm nuts about them," Simmons said. "Now, by the way, that underminds our negotiation -- let the lawyers figure that out."

Simmons also said he planned on seeing several bands during CMW and would be giving the one he thought was the best a $10,000 cheque "as a gesture of good faith."

On the KISS front, he said his group -- which has sold 75 million albums over the past three decades -- was recording its first studio album in a decade, with singer Paul Stanley producing.

And the legendary band starts a world stadium tour on April 5 in Buenos Airies Stadium, followed by about 10 Canadian dates in July, including July 13 in Montreal and July 18 in Halifax.

"There's nothing to prove to anybody, we're not interested in musical trends, we're too long in the tooth for that, so it's going to be a classic '70s rock 'n' roll vibe, meat-and-potatoes kind of thing," Simmons told reporters about the sound of the new songs.

"Sometimes you just want to go out and have a meat-and-potatoes thing, forget the French dressing. Titles like Rock To The Core, the obvious things. No secret to life. No political messaging, nothing like that."

Simmons also just signed a deal with reality-show czar Mark Burnett to do a KISS reality TV show, just filmed a Dr. Pepper's commercial with his son Nick and the four faces of the KISS band members will soon be featured on M&Ms.