“KISS”…My A*s, Gene!
by 
Metal Martyr on August 28th, 2007
Here is an article posted by Blabbermouth.net. Gene Brings up some very valid points and almost makes you feel guilty about downloading mp3’s. Stick around to the end to read my 10 pesos on this.
KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons was a guest on Dave Navarro’s Internet TV show, Spread Entertainment, last Thursday (August 23). The highlight of the program was Simmons and Navarro discussing the current disturbing state of the music industry. A partial transcript of the chat follows.
Dave Navarro: Now we were talking about the music industry and the state of things now, you guys (KISS) were obviously pioneers in the rock world, you have millions of fans around the world, how have you seen it changed?
Gene Simmons: It really has. The thing that’s changed is the industry around it. It’s still basically the same — you’ve got people who’ve got something to say. Whether you’re a rapper and you do it with lyrics — because there’s no difference between “Wild thing, you make my heart sing” — it’s just spoken the same way a rapper does it. It’s a different message written by a different person for a different audience. The thing that’s changed is that there’s no industry. We’ve allowed the fox to come into the hen house and then we’re shocked that there are no eggs and no chickens left. Those college geeks that thought that they deserved to download stuff for free without paying for anything ruined it for everybody. So if you look around and there’s no record industry, it’s those guys, the same guys that METALLICA sued, we’ll sue ‘em right now, we’ll flush ‘em down the toilet. Anybody who thinks that they should have access to something that belongs to me deserves to go to war with me. Those guys ruined it for everybody.
Dave Navarro: And even if you agree to the iTunes thing now, people can pay and go and download, people are downloading songs.
Gene Simmons: It’s too late …
Dave Navarro: They’re downloading one song because they don’t buy albums anymore.
Gene Simmons: It’s too late because the record industry is dying to figure out a way to survive. It’s over, it really is. Less and less bands actually make any money making music anymore and have to go back to the old ways which is to go out and play live.
Dave Navarro: Here’s what I’m noticing is that a lot of bands, my last band, people close to me, is that because they’re not selling records, there’s not an immediate return on records, there’s not an immediate single — the companies are going to pull tour support.
Gene Simmons: Yeah, but whoever invented the idea that a record company should support a band? What lunatic ever expects that? Imagine being in a business where you have to pay money, an advance, cash, to a band. Record companies were the best friend you and I ever had. They give you a big advance, you never have to pay the money back. If it loses and it bombs, you never pay the money back. They’ll earn back their money, then they continue to pay you royalties. That’s the best friend you ever had. Then they have to go manufacture it, promote it, advertise it, PLUS they want to get you out on tour and they’ll pay you to go out on tour. They don’t participate in your licensing, your merchandising or your live ticket sales …
Dave Navarro: Now they have a piece of all of that — the new deals are with merchandising …
Gene Simmons: But they’re paying for you. Because you know why they’re doing that? Because they can’t make any money on records. It’s done — the record industry is dead.
You can watch the Spread Entertainment archived clips at this location.
All I have to say is this: I have Always liked the classic KISS, but shit like this just burns me up inside so I’m go apologize for a few things. Sorry, Gene. Sorry the little guy has ruined the rock star payday even though we are the ones who financed it. Sorry there is only 4 classic cars in your garage instead of 8. Sorry we ruined it all for you. I understand that a lot of musicians work hard to get where they are at but at the same time a lot of us are working our asses off to just live with the comfort of food water and shelter. I have downloaded a shitload of mp3’s over the years but I guarantee that I have spent more money on cd’s, tapes and music memorabilia than any band has ever lost from me downloading a few mp3’s.
I’ve said it before and I’m gonna beat every slithering maggot out of this dead horse. The problem is that there have always been and always will be bands out there that have 1 or maybe, just maybe 2 good songs on a record and the rest suck. So you go and buy a cd that has two good songs on it and your thoroughly disappointed with the rest of the cd. It can make a fan feel like they have been misled and can turn a fan into a foe in the blink of an eye. But what does the band or the recording industry care? They don’t because they already have your money. So is the record industry dead? If it wasn’t for the fans that payed for your records you wouldn’t have JACK, Gene.That also includes your over rated, over scripted A&E show. Many of you may say that I’m a hateful person but the truth is that I’m tired of millionaire musicians bitching about how their life is so terrible because the record industry has gone to hell and they can’t afford for someone to wipe their ass for them every ten minutes! And the vicious cycle continues…
Oh and please don’t sue the dog, Gene. He lost his job at that taco place and this is all he has to hold on too.
Image Source: http://www.ilovechihuahuas.com/gene-simmons-dog.jpg
Tags: Dave-Navarro, filthy-rich-musicians-that-just-cant-get-enough-money, Kiss, the-record-insustry| 2.9 |
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5 opinions for “KISS”…My A*s, Gene!
Aug 29, 2007 at 8:28 pm
Just another reason to loathe Gene Simmons. This guy’s bitching about the downfall of the record industry (but that’s ok because he can slap his face and name on lunchboxes, action figures, Tang, TV dinners, etc, etc ). BTW Gene, lot’s of rock acts LOVE playing live, and they don’t need 500 lbs of fireworks to do it either!
Aug 29, 2007 at 8:34 pm
(LMAO! tv dinners!) Damn right, Brendan! It just goes to show who does it for the love of performing and who does it for $$. In my opinion Gene is a marketer not a musician.
And then there are some bands that just shouldn’t use fireworks (Coughgreatwhitecough).
Oct 19, 2007 at 4:10 am
You guys are missing the point entirely. You can harbor as much misguided disgust for Gene Simmons as you want. You are right about one thing, he has his money. He doesn’t care if he sells another record or does another tour.
His commentary about the music business being dead is going to affect everyone from the artist to the listener. Once the industry cannot support itself, there will be no one to promote and develop artists and their music, and you fuckers won’t have anything new to download for free.
A store that gives everything away can’t stay in business long. Dummies.
Oct 19, 2007 at 5:44 am
Bob, don’t get me wrong. I Don’t support free downloads. I’m guilty of it in the past but these days I enjoy buying a CD. The problem is in the past, however not so much in the metal genre, that you get a cd with a single they play on the air and the rest of the cd is filler crap. People got tired of buying a whole cd just to learn that the rest is shit. Thats what was so great about singles sales, but they don’t sell singles anymore.
Gene speaks of playing live as if its a burden. Thats what the fans want! They want to see their favorite bands live and are willing to pay top dollar. What they aren’t willing to do is pay 18 dollars for a cd with two good songs on it.
Jan 27, 2008 at 3:50 pm
I am amazed that he said so negatively, that bands will have to go back to the old days of playing live…..uhhhh what the fuck? Ahh damn too bad Gene cant sit on his big fatass in his million dollar recording studio in his big ass mansion and sell another million without ever putting pants on. Sorry you dont get more money, just think gene there are musicians a lot less fortunate than yourself, a lot poorer, and they take this as a blessing that they dont have to score a major record deal, and can play live with the people who give them their income. Gene is just to far above the average man, whom for years paid the bastards salary. Maybe people will actually know and understand the bands they like….
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