Gene Simmons: 'Rock Is Finally Dead'

[Carloscda]

Gene Simmons is making headlines again, this time for burying rock ‘n’ roll. The outspoken artist says “Rock is finally dead,” in an interview conducted by his son Nick for Esquire magazine. The Kiss singer-bassist also shares his thoughts on the failing record business and how he would not want to be an up-and-coming artist today.

“The death of rock was not a natural death,” Simmons offers. “Rock did not die of old age. It was murdered. Some brilliance, somewhere, was going to be expressed, and now it won’t, because it’s that much harder to earn a living playing and writing songs. No one will pay you to do it.”

Simmons also offers sobering advice for young musicians and songwriters saying, “Don’t quit your day job is a good piece of advice. When I was coming up, it was not an insurmountable mountain. Once you had a record company on your side, they would fund you, and that also meant when you toured they would give you tour support.” He adds, “There are still record companies, and it does apply to pop, rap, and country to an extent. But for performers who are also songwriters — the creators — for rock music, for soul, for the blues — it’s finally dead. Rock is finally dead.”

He continues on about how he feels for this lost generation of kids who will not have the same opportunity that he had with Kiss. “It’s very sad for new bands. My heart goes out to them. They just don’t have a chance.” Simmons remarks. “If you play guitar, it’s almost impossible. You’re better off not even learning how to play guitar or write songs, and just singing in the shower and auditioning for ‘The X Factor.’ And I’m not slamming ‘The X Factor,’ or pop singers. But where’s the next Bob Dylan? Where’s the next Beatles? Where are the songwriters? Where are the creators?”

Simmons added that he is not being simply being cantankerous offering, “I’m not the guy to be pouting and complaining about stuff. I make a decent living. I’m very, very lucky. But that’s because we started before the chaos, in the days when people had to buy records. If you didn’t like a band, you didn’t buy their albums, and the people decided.”


http://www.esquire.com/blogs/culture...future-of-rock

[Nitro Express]

I was reading an interview with Kevin Dugan who was a roadie and stage manager for Van Halen and several other artists. He was also Michael Anthony's bass tech. Kevin has worked in the music business for many years and he was saying something similar. In the old days the record company paid for the road crew and they got medical insurance and benefits. Kevin said they were treated decent. Nowadays he said it's a different story. The money and benefits are harder to come by if you work out on the road.

The death of record labels changed the game. Gene is right. Now bands are going to have to find sponsors on their own and make the money on the road selling tickets. Acts today are going to have to work hard for every penny and without a big marketing organization, chances of making it big on your own will be very difficult. It sounds like not only are the artists going to be challenged to make a living but the people who support them are as well.

[SunisinuS]

Isn't Gene Simmons dead? I thought he died last week from an elective procedure.

[BITEYOASS]

Frankly, I won't be missing record companies anytime soon. In the end, they fucked themselves. If you want great music, go look for it your damn selves.

[BITEYOASS]

And don't get me started on MTV.

[Kristy]

Strange, strange times. I find myself in agreement with Simmons' F A T Jewish ass. The record industry has been a dead man walking for some time.

[Satan]

Isn't Gene Simmons dead? I thought he died last week from an elective procedure.

Well, he is an elderly Jew who hangs out with Donald Trump, has had way too many plastic surgery procedures, and has made statements supporting genocide against Palestinians.

So I could see how you might confuse the two.

[cadaverdog]

Well, he is an elderly Jew who hangs out with Donald Trump, has had way too many plastic surgery procedures, and has made statements supporting genocide against Palestinians.

I see you've fit another anti semitic comment into a thread that has absolutely nothing to do with politics. Of course Gene supports Israel. He was born there. He's a patriotic Israeli. They don't see it as genocide. What do you call it when Palestinians murder Israelis? You probably click your heels together and give a hearty Seig Heil.

[78/84 guy]

That pathetic wig he has on his head just kills me ! Doesn't anyone close to him tell him how bad he looks with that thing ? God Gene get one with curls or some thing ! He makes a good point, I think People do feel entitled too music these days. I rarely copy c.d.s off people. If someone gives me one sure I'll take it. But I will also go buy the real thing if it's something I really liked. The band does deserve your money ! It's how they survive. I'm old school. I want the artwork also. I wouldn't even know how too download a song. Rock isn't dead though. It's just underground music now. There is plenty of good stuff out there.

[Satan]

I see you've fit another anti semitic comment into a thread that has absolutely nothing to do with politics. Of course Gene supports Israel. He was born there. He's a patriotic Israeli. They don't see it as genocide. What do you call it when Palestinians murder Israelis? You probably click your heels together and give a hearty Seig Heil.

I don't have heels, I have cloven hooves. And if you're looking for anti-semitism, try Mr. Presley's posts. How in Hell's name is it "anti-semitic" to oppose the Israelis doing to others what Adolf & the boys did to their grandparents?

[cadaverdog]

How in Hell's name is it "anti-semitic" to oppose the Israelis doing to others what Adolf & the boys did to their grandparents?

Because they're not. The Palestinians aren't trying to get along with the Israeli anymore than the Israelis are trying to get along with them. The Israeli aren't rounding up Palestinians and putting them in death camps either. I'm sure the Palestinians would love to see the Israelis exterminated too. They just don't have the manpower and technology to do it or they would have done it by now. Now kiss your Yasser Arafat picture and go to bed.

[SunisinuS]

I see you've fit another anti semitic comment into a thread that has absolutely nothing to do with politics. Of course Gene supports Israel. He was born there. He's a patriotic Israeli. They don't see it as genocide. What do you call it when Palestinians murder Israelis? You probably click your heels together and give a hearty Seig Heil.

It was not Satan that started it...I just tempted him.

[Kristy]

Metal was and always will be absolute shit. Right, Kurt?

[Kristy]

I FUCKING LOVE THIS!!! Seeing Jaz Coleman looking like the creepy vampire dude from the Adams Family all decked out in the latest fascist regalia singing on about nuclear annihilation. That's rock 'n' roll! Christ, the amount of sex, weed and fun I had to that first Killing Joke album while all you cretins were slumming your parents basement jerking off to soft core porn on Cinemax and listening to crap like KISS and that 'Eye Of the Tiger' shit.



So musically anemic this record almost made want to do heroin just so I would "get it."


And now, here is a photo of nine-time U.S. Champion bad ass Michelle Kwan (enjoy):

Ssss'up, people?

[Angel]

I see you've fit another anti semitic comment into a thread that has absolutely nothing to do with politics. Of course Gene supports Israel. He was born there. He's a patriotic Israeli. They don't see it as genocide. What do you call it when Palestinians murder Israelis? You probably click your heels together and give a hearty Seig Heil.

He didn't say anything anti-semitic in that post. Wanting to end apartheid in Palestine DOES NOT EQUAL ANTI-SEMITISM!!!! Even holocaust survivors agree:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/wo...e-9687994.html

Sunday 24 August 2014

Dozens of Holocaust survivors, together with hundreds of descendants of Holocaust survivors and victims, have accused Israel of “genocide” for the deaths of more than 2,000 Palestinians in Gaza since the conflict erupted in July.

In an open letter released by the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network and published as an advert in The New York Times, the group calls for a full economic, cultural and academic boycott of Israel over its “wholesale effort to destroy Gaza”.

“Genocide begins with the silence of the world,” the statement reads, “We must raise our collective voices and use our collective power to bring about an end to all forms of racism, including the ongoing genocide of Palestinian people.”

The statement also condemns the United States for its financial and diplomatic support of Israel.

The signatories express alarm at “the extreme, racist dehumanization of Palestinians in Israeli society, which has reached a fever pitch.”

This condemnation was designed as a response to a widely-published advertisement from Nobel prize-winning author Elie Wiesel that condemned Hamas for its “use of children as human shields”.

The statement reads: “We are disgusted and outraged by Elie Wiesel’s abuse of our history […] to justify the unjustifiable.”

Of the 327 signatories, 40 survived the Holocaust and the other 287 are descendants of Holocaust survivors or victims.

Recent today reports refer to the destruction of an high rise office building in the southern town of Rafah, and the bombing of an apartment building in Gaza City amid attempts from the Egyptian government to establish a durable ceasefire.

More than 2,100 Palestinians, including 500 children have been killed in the conflict, according to Palestinian health officials and UN figures. Israel has lost 64 soldiers and four civilians.

[Kristy]

I see you've fit another anti semitic comment into a thread that has absolutely nothing to do with politics.

Oh, do shut the fuck up you emotionally disturbed social worker's wet dream.

[Nitro Express]

Well, he is an elderly Jew who hangs out with Donald Trump, has had way too many plastic surgery procedures, and has made statements supporting genocide against Palestinians.

So I could see how you might confuse the two.

Gene is a supporter of Netanyahu. David Lee Roth once said "Fuck the Palestinians.". Reading Crazy from the Heat, it seems like Dave and Gene have similar views regarding Israel.

[Kristy]

Yeah, hi. My name is Mary. I am a 22 year-old runaway from Modesto, California. Basically, I blow failed musicians for some skag and a place to crash. Now seeing the music industry is dying I may have to start to look for a real job. Being a blow job Queen junkie for bands like Arcade Fire and Sun Kil Moon is all right and for a while I lived a comfy life despite the hair lice and body crabs I caught from a record producer while in New York. I once OD'd at a Yo La Tengo show in Saint Paul. Ended up in the E.R. with a catheter in my arm and a bag of Frito Lays in my bra strap. Good times. I'll miss the music industry. It was my life.

[Kristy]

Hello, my name is Rutus or "Root" for short. I play in a band called 'The Dreary Sunday.' We're a cross between a bleached white suburban Smiths and a high school talent show. Now that a F A T Jew claims the industry is dying I guess I should keep my day job. Problem with that is that I never had a job. My $200 haircut? Parents. My trendy clothes from the feminine section of Forever 21 and Hot Topic? Parents. My VW that I drive to gigs at the local Starbucks? Parents. Here's is some lyrics I wrote about the industry. It's called 'Purple Lake'

Purple Lake is a frost on my soul
I exist to be. Why, I don't know
I may be gay, no one can for sure say
Purple Lake is the only one who knows

Yeah, it needs work but who really wrote those lyrics? Parents.

[Kristy]

Sssss'up, faggots? We're a metal act called 'Gears Of Doom' Yeah, we know it's like Gears Of War since we play a lot of fucking XBox but seeing our collective IQ of being in a metal band is no more than say, around 12 it's the best we could come up with. We are young musicians except for the guy on the right who we found sleeping in our skate park who is around 25 and claims he has been in the "'Stan" and the 'Rock'" killing Al Queda cockbiters and how it totally fucked him up. We dig that. Not dig like hippie dig because we fucking hate hippies but dig like dig, y'know? That dude has been around and metal is all about being around not too mention having latent homosexual tendencies although the old dude claims he knows what "pussy" is.

Anyway, we think the whole "rock is dead" is really cool. We watch a lot of fucking 'Walking Dead' and if the musical industry is anything like that then fuck yeah.

[BITEYOASS]

I know some of you don't give two fucks about Slipknot, but Corey Taylor does make a good point about those fucking CD cases.

[Kristy]

I know some of you don't give two fucks about Slipknot, but Corey Taylor does make a good point about those fucking CD cases.

Whatever, thread shitter. White corporate industry acts like Slipsyphilis complaining like whipped puppies about CD cases of all fucking things. What in the fuck is wrong with you?

[BITEYOASS]

Rock is only dead from a business perspective, musically it still exists. Of course parasites like Gene sucked as much money as they could out of it and left that business for dead. So now everyone is back to the old routine of looking for great bands your damn self as opposed to relying on big name media outlets to do the looking for them. And frankly that's the way it should be. Last thing I want is some big-wig asshat telling me what's the next big thing in rock n' roll.

[BITEYOASS]

And now here is a real musical genius giving his opinion of how fucked the music industry became.

[Fairwrning]

I will say good luck with going down to your local record store ( if you still have one) and buying a cd...maybe you find one stuck behind the katy perry section..

[Kristy]

HEY!

Don't be dissin' on Katy.

Come on into my kitchen

She knows da Blooz better than Scheppy Zeppelin ever will.

[BITEYOASS]

And now some more...

[Fairwrning]

Katy Perry is a babe..but I have no use for her cds

[Kristy]

Post something of your own originality, thread shitter. Zappa is a condescending prick.

[Kristy]

Katy Perry is a babe..but I have no use for her cds

Really? I bet you stick your tiny dick in the hole when you masturbate to her music. Zappa says it's "natural."

[BITEYOASS]

Whatever, thread shitter. White corporate industry acts like Slipsyphilis complaining like whipped puppies about CD cases of all fucking things. What in the fuck is wrong with you?

Shouldn't you be heading down to your nearby BDSM club in order to get a good fist fucking that you like to receive on a daily basis?

[Kristy]

On a Sunday morning the only BDSM club is the local church.

[Nitro Express]

Because they're not. The Palestinians aren't trying to get along with the Israeli anymore than the Israelis are trying to get along with them. The Israeli aren't rounding up Palestinians and putting them in death camps either. I'm sure the Palestinians would love to see the Israelis exterminated too. They just don't have the manpower and technology to do it or they would have done it by now. Now kiss your Yasser Arafat picture and go to bed.

What I find ironic is we live in a country where it's constitutionally forbidden to have a theocracy but we support one overseas. Then enough Israeli dual citizens have wormed their way into the US federal government we seem to be running an Israel foreign policy and not a US foreign policy. I think we should have ended any support of Israel when the USS Liberty was attacked and that attack was on purpose and no accident. Why do we support a country that shot up one of our naval vessels and killed some of the crew? Why do we support a country that does not support freedom of religion? Israel is a jewish theocracy that is trigger happy. Remember the leaders of that state think they are chosen and better than anyone else. Do you want to support that way of thinking? I don't.

[cadaverdog]

He didn't say anything anti-semitic in that post. Wanting to end apartheid in Palestine DOES NOT EQUAL ANTI-SEMITISM!!!!

You obviously don't have a clue what the word even means. Saying Israel is practicing apartheid is an anti semitic remark. I don't really give a fuck what goes on over there. They can all kill each other as far as I'm concerned. I just get tired of hearing every jew that supports Israel is wrong for doing it.

[Satan]

The people of the world managed to bring down South African apartheid in the 80s. Maybe it's time you mortals do it again? Or do you have to wait for the arrival of my son, the Antichrist??

[sadaist]

Fuck Gene Simmons lol. Never a fan of KISS. Like a handful of tunes & that's it.

VAN FUCKING HALEN FOR LIFE BITCHES!!!!

[chuckjitsu]

Of course parasites like Gene sucked as much money as they could out of it and left that business for dead.

That's exactly what I was thinking, so I found it ironic that Gene would be bitching about a situation he helped create.

I've never really paid much attention to KISS, but I just finished Peter Criss' book. I'd heard over the years about Gene and Paul being assholes, but wow. Ace doesn't exactly come across well either (neither did Peter himself, ironically enough).

[Angel]

You obviously don't have a clue what the word even means. Saying Israel is practicing apartheid is an anti semitic remark. I don't really give a fuck what goes on over there. They can all kill each other as far as I'm concerned. I just get tired of hearing every jew that supports Israel is wrong for doing it.

You're the one that doesn't have a clue. Anti-semitic means hatred of Jews, not the state of Israel...and it IS apartheid. Their "pass system" was borrowed from South Africa...which was borrowed from Canada.

[Nitro Express]

The state of Israel was set up and is ran by the Rothschilds. It's government has always been corrupt. Being jewish means either you or your ancestors joined it. All the genealogy has been destroyed from ancient Jerusalem. The jews no longer can prove their lineage and priesthood. If someone says they are of the tribe of Levi and they are going to rebuild the temple, they are making it all up. Nobody really knows what they are. But there is this religion called Judism they belong to. A native Palistinian might have the right lineage to rebuild and run the temple. Who knows. Who cares. The only people who care are the assholes of Abraham.

[Satan]

Mike Malloy had the perfect analogy on the whole Israel/Palestine mess a couple weeks ago......