Kiss Star Gene Simmons Defends Charging Fans $12K to be His Assistant

Kiss star Gene Simmons defended charging fortunate followers $12K to be his private assistant and roadie for someday.

“I made a decision, ‘ what, no person’s ever performed it. Why not open the concept to be my private roadie for the day?” Simmons, 75, advised The New York Submit in an interview printed Wednesday, March 25.

Earlier this month, Simmons began providing his followers the possibility to pay $12,495 for the “Final Gene Simmons Expertise” on his solo tour.

This dear VIP tour bundle contains visiting with Simmons on the morning of the live performance to assist arrange his schedule for the day. After a meal with the rocker, the fan and one visitor will journey to the venue with Simmons after which help his street crew in establishing the present.

Not all the perks are so labor-intensive — the “visitor roadie” can be invited to hitch Simmons on stage throughout the live performance and obtain an autographed bass utilized in a Kiss rehearsal.

Whereas Simmons obtained backlash for the costly VIP tour bundle, he mentioned he got here up with the concept as a result of he was once fascinated with the pre-show surroundings at rock exhibits.

“After I was a child and went to see exhibits, I used to be all the time curious, ‘What’s it like after they’re in a resort? What’s it like when the stage is ready up? What’s it like being onstage after they’re performing and seeing the viewers from the stage,’” he recalled.

Simmons promised followers will get their cash’s value regardless of the hefty price ticket, although anybody ought to be conscious just one particular person per present can participate within the “Final Gene Simmons Expertise.”

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“You meet on the resort the place you’ve breakfast collectively or, , no matter floats your boat,” he mentioned. “You journey with me to the gig. You possibly can arrange amplifiers and drums to your coronary heart’s content material. You’re onstage, proper offstage to my proper. You possibly can video the crowds, no matter. And I pull you onstage to sing a music with me.”

For followers who aren’t fairly able to shell out $12K to lug round some amps, Simmons does provide a labor-free backstage meet-and-greet bundle, together with a signed bass, for a mere $6,500.

Kiss have been criticized for his or her crass advertising techniques all through their 52-year profession because the self-proclaimed “Hottest Band within the World.” Simmons as soon as personally marketed a Kiss Kasket for $3,900 in 2001.

“I really like livin’, however this [casket] makes the choice look fairly rattling good,” Simmons was quoted as saying in ads for the branded coffins.

The Rock and Roll Corridor of Fame inductees have bought their followers rest room paper, Kiss Kondoms, inflatable tongues, scratch-and-win lottery tickets and even Kiss-branded meat buns over time. Maybe probably the most ridiculous Kiss-branded merchandise was their officially-licensed air guitar strings — sure, baggage of air.

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Kiss formally retired from touring following the conclusion of their Finish of the Street World Tour at New York Metropolis’s Madison Sq. Backyard in December 2023. Nonetheless, this wasn’t Kiss’ first retirement tour — as they’d beforehand promised to name it quits in 2001 with a 142-date trek, earlier than resuming reside exhibits solely two years later with their World Domination Tour in 2003.

The present lineup of Kiss — Simmons on bass and vocals, Paul Stanley on rhythm guitar and vocals, Tommy Thayer on lead guitar and Eric Singer on drums — are subsequent set to return to the stage as a part of their KISS Military Storms Vegas conference at Virgin Motels Las Vegas in November.

The Gene Simmons Band had been set to start touring in April, however have since pushed off their reside exhibits till Might 2 in Peachtree Metropolis, Georgia. Seventeen previously-scheduled concert events can be moved to 2026.