Gene Simmons has never been shy about finding new ways to connect with fans, and his latest venture, The Ultimate Gene Simmons Experience, might put your bank account through the grinder.
In a new conversation with Carl Craft of 95.9 The Rat, the Kiss bassist and vocalist opened up about the offering, which is available during his upcoming tour with the Gene Simmons Band. For $12,495 — plus the price of an original event ticket — one fan per show will have the opportunity to join Simmons as a personal assistant and roadie for the day.
Explaining the hefty price tag, Simmons shared, “Here’s the deal: when I was a kid and I went to see Jimi Hendrix or somebody, of course I enjoyed the show and really got off on it — we talked about it forever and stuff — but I didn’t know what it was like. What’s the beginning of the day like? What’s it like to sit and have breakfast or lunch with my favorite rock stars, and then get in the limo, go to the gig, set up the drums, do soundcheck, and then be on stage with your video, ’cause nowadays everything’s on video. You can’t take a poop without a camera coming in under the stall. And then you get pulled up on stage to sing along with them.”
However, Simmons made it clear that offering the experience to just one fan per show isn’t about exclusivity alone — it’s a legal necessity. “Now, having said that, we only do one roadie for a day per show. And I’ll tell you why — because nowadays everything is so litigious. That’s a big word, like gymnasium. That means everybody sues everybody for no reason. So if you get a paper cut, somebody gets sued. And that’s just the way life is here in America — much more in California, by the way. It’s crazy out here.”
The realities of today’s insurance landscape are a key factor in the cost. “So, I can’t even, if I wanted to, bring out do roadie for a day with 10, 20, 30, as many people as we would like. So we do one, because the insurance costs for that are astronomical. And so this ain’t cheap. It’s not for everybody. And for that one person, you do have to pay premium numbers. That’s just life.”
Beyond the novelty of hanging backstage with one of rock’s most iconic figures, Simmons stressed that the financial risks involved demanded a substantial investment. “It’s also exposure, financial and legal exposure,” he said. “Somebody has a bad experience, and they sue yo,u and it costs you hundreds of thousands of dollars. You need insurance for everything. Do you have a car? You’ve got insurance. Everything in life, apparently… In fact, if you buy anything — a tool — they give you insurance. Would you like the one-year or the three-year? Everything’s insured.”
For fans who want a memorable experience but can’t quite swing the full roadie package, Simmons is also offering The Gene Simmons Bass Experience. This option allows one fan and up to three guests to meet the legendary rocker backstage. The package includes the opportunity to purchase a personalized bass guitar for $6,500 (if the instrument is non-stage-played) or $12,500 for a bass Simmons previously used during a show — again, not including the ticket price.
While some may balk at the costs involved, Simmons seems unbothered. To him, these experiences offer something he wished he could have had with his idols decades ago — and if insurance and legal logistics make it expensive, so be it.
For more information, visit GeneSimmonsAxe
