MusicThe realization that makes Gene Simmons regret current rock

MusicThe realization that makes Gene Simmons regret current rock

Vocalist and bassist of the now closed Kiss is known for criticizing the way the music industry operates these days

There are many criticisms of Gene Simmons to music, especially rock, nowadays. Not just the artists and bands, but also the way the industry operates, which allocated efforts and investments to other areas after the establishment of digital formats.

The vocalist and bassist of Kiss returned to the topic in a recent interview with Fox News (via BraveWords). Participation in the podcast On Spin Newsfrom the network, was so that Simmons could promote his next solo tour across the United States, with shows between April and May. His original band ended activities in December 2023, after a 50-year career.

Initially, when explaining why he continues to perform even at 75 years of age, he explained:

“Being on stage is something difficult to explain, because there is something that just happens. We’re social animals, there’s something that happens when you’re on stage and the fans are going crazy… it doesn’t matter if you’re the Pope, there’s this movement of giving and receiving emotions, and that’s what it’s all about.”

The musician then lamented that many younger rock artists and groups no longer have the opportunity to feel the same on a large scale. For him, the business model “is dead” due to the loss of value of music in the market, which prevents the emergence of big names.

Unfortunately, the business model is dead. New rock bands don’t stand a chance. In a way, rock has finally died, because the freckled kid next door — who’s a good kid and has a good family — has become privileged: he feels entitled to be able to download and share files and get all this music from grace.”

Gene Simmons (Photo: Ethan Miller / Getty Images)

Gene also highlights that many people don’t understand his point. According to him, they confuse it with simple greed.

“They keep saying: ‘So what if music became free? You’re too rich to care. Why do you care?’. Well, imagine you work for a living, write a book, sell groceries or whatever, and people don’t pay you for the work you do. So you understand me. You say, ‘Well, wait a minute, I worked for this, how come I don’t get paid?’”

Finally, he reinforced his sadness with the current scenario, saying:

“This is what is happening with new artists. And it breaks my heart.”

Rock is dead and Gene Simmons is the gravedigger

In most of his interviews in recent years, Gene Simmons insists that rock is dead. In an interview with The Zak Kuhn Showfor example, the Kiss singer and bassist was asked if the style is “still dead”. The (literally) loudmouth assured that it was and highlighted how the period between 1958 and 1988 brought many more music icons than the following decades.

“People don’t understand how I can say that when we all have our favorite songs and bands. But let’s play a game. From 1958 to 1988, that’s 30 years. We had Elvis Presleywe had Beatles, Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, David Bowie…in the world of ‘disco’, there was Madonna. On heavier guitars, AC/DC, Aerosmith and so on. And the artists of Motown at the same time. He had Prince. In the program, Yes, Genesis, Gentle Giant. And heavy bands like Led Zeppelin and so on. From 1988 to today, it’s almost 40 years. Who are the new ones Beatles?”

The channel presenter mentioned the Nirvana. Simmons reinforced that he likes the band, but said that younger people don’t even know about them. And there was even a name that was mentioned in the previous answer.

“Stop. We are blind. I’m a huge fan, but if you walked down the street and asked a 20-year-old ‘who’s Nirvana’s bassist?’, they wouldn’t know what you were talking about. Or ask: ‘can you sing a Nirvana song?’. Everyone knew the Beatles and, to a lesser extent, the Stones and Elvis. Even if you hated rock, you knew about them. […] But years ago, my son saw a pretty girl and tried to start a conversation. She was wearing the Rolling Stones t-shirt, the one with the tongue. To start a conversation, he said: ‘Ah, so you’re a fan, huh?’. She asked what, he said ‘the Stones’ and she asked: ‘what is that?’. Even with him humming the riff of ‘Satisfaction’ and other songs, she had never heard.”

Gene Simmons (Photo: Francesco Prandoni / Getty Images)

Willing to refute any other artist or band that could be considered “the new Beatles”, Gene Simmons asked for two more names. The interviewer mentioned Pearl Jam and Foo Fighters. The answer? “No way”. He continues:

“I love Foo Fighters, I love these bands. Mike McCready [guitarrista do Pearl Jam] He told me he grew up listening to Kiss. One of his solos [‘Alive’] was caught note by note Ace Frehley [guitarrista do Kiss, em ‘She’]. But my point is: if you randomly walk down the street and ask the first 20-year-old, ‘name someone or a Pearl Jam song or sing a song’… good luck. They can’t.”

In the Kiss musician’s opinion, both he and the person responsible for the interview are “too close” to rock, which makes judgment difficult. At the same time, he highlighted information that neither of them would know: who the prime ministers of England, France or Canada are.

Still in your point of view, Dave Grohl became “much more popular” than Pearl Jam and Nirvana, a group he was part of before Foo Fighters. The reason? The artist transcended the rock bubble.

“Younger people may know Dave because he has done TV commercials and spent time with people outside the world of guitar and shows. This is how you become an icon. Everyone knows who it is Snoop Doggbut other rap stars, not necessarily. Snoop is in the media, he had a program with Martha Stewart. The fact is that the masses have no idea who is in Phishone of my favorite bands, or Pearl Jam.”

Kiss’ Big Hit That Gene Simmons Always Hated

Source: Rollingstone

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