KISS founder Gene Simmons made headlines earlier this month when he announced a backstage fan experience on his upcoming solo tour that included being his personal assistant and roadie for a day — all for the seemingly exorbitant price of $12,495.
Simmons caught a lot of flak for charging that much for you to be his assistant. The story went viral, and now Simmons has addressed his decision to charge over $12k for the experience and appeared to stand by it, price withstanding.
“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?’” Simmons told the New York Post, adding: “I decided, ‘You know what, nobody’s ever done it. Why not open the idea to be my personal roadie for the day?’”
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Simmons went on to describe some of the activities and perks the gig would entail.
“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.”
You also get to bring a friend, and you get a signed Gene Simmons bass at the end — accounting for a decent fraction of the $12,500 price. Even still, it’s only for the most dedicated members of the KISS Army who have money to spare.
As for the those content with purchasing just a regular concert ticket, Simmons is still slated to perform shows in May with his solo band, although 17 dates of the tour were recently ostponed. Get tickets here.
Content shared from consequence.net.