Gene Simmons has invited fans to join his crew, but it'll cost you. The Kiss frontman, now 75, is charging $12,495 for a day to serve as his personal assistant and band roadie.
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Not everyone's thrilled. Some fans wonder why Simmons, a rock icon, wants the extra cash. Still, he's hyping it as "the ultimate Gene Simmons experience" on his website. He says you'll roll with his Gene Simmons Band crew all day during his solo spring tour. You'll lug gear, set up the show, catch the sound check, ride with the band to the venue, and kick back backstage.
Simmons is truly piling on the perks. That $12K gets you a meal with him — maybe at the hotel, maybe backstage — plus a spotlight moment onstage where he shouts you out to the crowd. He tosses in some swag, too. You'll snag a signed set list and a bass he's played in rehearsal.
He's cool with you snapping photos all day to document it. Bring four items for him to sign — just no instruments or parts. Oh, and you can drag a friend along as your plus-one.
Simmons Going Strong
He's not stopping there. Simmons is offering this assistant gig at every tour stop from April 3 to August 3 — over 20 shows, adding up fast. He's got another deal, too. Drop $6,500, and you score a signed bass — while they last — and a backstage meet-up at a show.
Simmons loves a flashy stunt. Kiss has caught heat for wild marketing over the years. Back in 2001, he and bandmates Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley, and Peter Criss peddled Kiss caskets for $3,900, decked out with their faces.
They've slapped their name on Kiss Kondoms, inflatable tongues, even toilet paper. The band closed out their "End of the Road World" Tour at Madison Square Garden on December 2, 2023. Simmons called it "the end of the road for the band, not the brand."
He told 519 Magazine, "Kiss is its own universe — movies, merch, maybe Broadway. The band's done, but the Kiss vibe? That's forever." He added, "Touring's over. We go hard onstage. I've got 40 pounds of armor, seven-inch heels, dragon boots heavy as bowling balls. It wears you out."
