Kiss star Gene Simmons defended charging lucky fans $12K to be his personal assistant and roadie for one day.
“I decided, ‘You know what, nobody’s ever done it. Why not open the idea to be my personal roadie for the day?” Simmons, 75, told The New York Post in an interview published Wednesday, March 25.
Earlier this month, Simmons started offering his fans the chance to pay $12,495 for the “Ultimate Gene Simmons Experience” on his solo tour.
This pricey VIP tour package includes visiting with Simmons on the morning of the concert to help set up his schedule for the day. After a meal with the rocker, the fan and one guest will ride to the venue with Simmons and then assist his road crew in setting up the show.
Not all of the perks are so labor-intensive — the “guest roadie” will be invited to join Simmons on stage during the concert and receive an autographed bass used in a Kiss rehearsal.
While Simmons received backlash for the expensive VIP tour package, he said he came up with the idea because he used to be fascinated with the pre-show environment at rock shows.
“When I was a kid and went to see shows, I was always curious, ‘What’s it like when they’re in a hotel? What’s it like when the stage is set up? What’s it like being onstage when they’re performing and seeing the audience from the stage,’” he recalled.
Gene Simmons. Kayla Oaddams/FilmMagic
Simmons promised fans will get their money’s worth despite the hefty price tag, though anyone interested should be aware only one person per show can take part in the “Ultimate Gene Simmons Experience.”
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“You meet at the hotel where you have breakfast together or, you know, whatever floats your boat,” he said. “You ride with me to the gig. You can set up amplifiers and drums to your heart’s content. You’re onstage, right offstage to my right. You can video the crowds, whatever. And I pull you onstage to sing a song with me.”
For fans who aren’t quite ready to shell out $12K to lug around some amps, Simmons does offer a labor-free backstage meet-and-greet package, including a signed bass, for a mere $6,500.
Kiss have been criticized for their crass marketing tactics throughout their 52-year career as the self-proclaimed “Hottest Band in the World.” Simmons once personally marketed a Kiss Kasket for $3,900 in 2001.
“I love livin’, but this [casket] makes the alternative look pretty damn good,” Simmons was quoted as saying in advertisements for the branded coffins.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees have sold their fans toilet paper, Kiss Kondoms, inflatable tongues, scratch-and-win lottery tickets and even Kiss-branded meat buns over the years. Perhaps the most ridiculous Kiss-branded merchandise was their officially-licensed air guitar strings — yes, bags of air.
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Kiss officially retired from touring following the conclusion of their End of the Road World Tour at New York City’s Madison Square Garden in December 2023. However, this wasn’t Kiss’ first retirement tour — as they’d previously promised to call it quits in 2001 with a 142-date trek, before resuming live shows only two years later with their World Domination Tour in 2003.
The current 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 next set to return to the stage as part of their KISS Army Storms Vegas convention at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas in November.
The Gene Simmons Band were set to begin touring in April, but have since pushed off their live shows until May 2 in Peachtree City, Georgia. Seventeen previously-scheduled concerts will be moved to 2026.
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