Earlier this week, I read an article that Gene Simmons was chirping that "Rock is Dead." I have read that same article quoting Simmons dozens of times over the last decade.
But what inspired me to respond this time around?
Coincidentally, on the same day, Dexter Holland took to social media and talked about mentoring young bands and keeping the art form alive. He said that the Offspring were aggressively looking for young bands as their openers to provide exposure and challenged other artists to do the same thing.
So I went back to KISS' final tour and looked who their openers were. Intuition dictated Gene Simmons didn't give a lot of young bands that coveted opening slot:
Ian Hunter - Uh, Ian Hunter is actually OLDER than KISS.
Amber Wild - Maybe I was wrong. I looked up Amber Wild and they are a bunch of youngsters, trying to break into the business.... Wait a minute, Amber Wild is Paul Stanley's Kid's Band. Nepotism doesn't count as mentorship.
Weezer - A Weezer/KISS bill was a unique concept.
The Darkness - On the comeback trail.
Eagles of Death Metal - On the comeback trail.
Skindred - Okay, Skindred would benefit from being a KISS opener.
The Night Flight Orchestra - Another young(er) band that benefitted from being a KISS opener....
Alright, alright, I begrudgingly admit that KISS (mostly) did the right thing on their final tour.
Whenever I think of Gene Simmons of KISS now, I think of a merchandizer instead of the mastermind behind the classic rock hit parade of the mid-70s. I think of Gene Simmons as a businessman trying to sell me that $100 KISS Hockey Jersey.
But surprisingly, as soon as KISS retired, Gene Simmons announced a tour of the Gene Simmons Band. Just Gene and a couple of his musician friends playing KISS standards and classic rock cover songs. Gene Simmons, with a guitar and pick, showing up in your city without a stage show and massive entourage, stripping rock down its bare essentials?
I'm not sure about this---
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