KISS’ Gene Simmons has said that the “astronomical” costs of insurance is why is his charging one fan more than $12k to be his “roadie” for a day.
The bassist and singer has come under fire recently for offering a fan the chance to be his personal assistant and roadie for a day – for the cost of $12,495 (£9,667) .
Dubbed ‘The Ultimate Gene Simmons Experience’, and sold ahead of his now-postponed North American tour – it allows a fan to help with load-in at the venue, stage set-up, and the ability to sit in on the sound check and hang out backstage.
However, he has further defended his decision to offer this “experience” – saying that rising insurance costs is why he priced it more than $12k. Speaking to New Jersey’s 95.9 The Rat, he explained his reasoning.
“Here’s the deal: when I was a kid and I went to see [Jimi] Hendrix or somebody, of course I enjoyed the show and really got off on it — we talked about it forever and stuff — but I didn’t know what it was like,” Simmons said, as reported by Blabbermouth. “What’s the beginning of the day like? What’s it like to sit and have breakfast or lunch with my favorite rock stars, and then get in the limo, go to the gig, set up the drums, do soundcheck and then be onstage…”
He continued: “Now, having said that, we only do one roadie for a day per show. And I’ll tell you why — because nowadays everything is so litigious. … That means everybody sues everybody for no reason. So if you get a paper cut, somebody gets sued. And that’s just the way life is here in America — much more in California, by the way.
“It’s crazy out here. So, I can’t even, if I wanted to, bring out or do roadie for a day with 10, 20, 30, as many people [as we would like]. So we do one, because the insurance costs for that are astronomical. And so this ain’t cheap. It’s not for everybody. And for that one person, you do have to pay premium numbers. That’s just life.”
According to Simmons, the $12,495 price tag covers “financial and legal exposure” in addition to “the classic stuff”. He said: “Somebody has a bad experience and they sue you and it costs you hundreds of thousands of dollars. You need insurance for everything.”
The roadie experience continues all through showtime, and includes a special performance with Gene Simmons. He told The New York Post:“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.”
Simmons’ North American tour – which set to kick off this month – is being postponed to “early 2026”. While a cause for the postponement was not revealed, it was confirmed that it was not due to health issues.
Since the postponement of his solo tour, KISS have announced plans for an “unmasked” show in Las Vegas later this year. It will mark the band’s first performance since their 2023 farewell tour.
According to an email sent out to fans, the concert also promises “a special live performance from former KISS member Bruce Kulick, along with other special guests, activities, exclusive experiences and more.”