The Mosh Pit 11.16.07: An Open Letter To Gene Simmons

Posted by Dan Haggerty on 11.16.2007

So what should a music columnist do when a rock icon wants to sue his own fans? Easy… respond! 411's Dan Haggerty serves up an open letter to Gene Simmons in the latest edition of The Mosh Pit!



Whew! What a busy couple of weeks here on 411Mania. My responsibilities here on the site have doubled, as I now moderate the prestigious 411Music Fact or Fiction stadium. It's a real blast because not only does it allow me it get to work with the other writers a little more, but more importantly I get to sit in the center of the opinion storm. It's all about real views from us fans, and the column is a great way to hear the kind of things you would never see on MTV, VH1, or even Rolling Stone… But you should! We're the real deal, and what they should have been.

On top of that, I'm helping out with reporting the news for the music zone. If you've noticed a slight hard rock to metal bent to the news in the evenings, you've got me and Dan Marsicano to thank for it. Not that it is a focus, for we have a job to do and that job is find all the nuggets of news we think you would like to hear about. But obviously we both have preferences and it shows in the news resources we have and ultimately report.

It's absolutely awesome helping here. The site is growing by leaps and bounds with lots of new visitors; the feedback from you, the reader, is great and what drives us to do all the hard work; and in the middle of this I get to participate by doing one of the greatest things on earth – Writing about music.

BUT, and isn't there always a "but", but while preparing to do a full look at some great metal albums from 2006, something came up while doing the news that sent my blood pressure through the roof. I came here to write about music, and I planned on getting back to it this week, but then I stumbled across an interview with Gene Simmons. He was asked if he would be releasing any new material, and here in the response…

""The record industry is in such a mess. I called for what it was when college kids first started download music for free -- that they were crooks. I told every record label I spoke with that they just lit the fuse to their own bomb that was going to explode from under them and put them on the street.

There is nothing in me that wants to go in there and do new music. How are you going to deliver it? How are you going to get paid for it if people can just get it for free? I will be putting out a Gene Simmons box set called Monster - a collection of 150 unreleased songs. KISS will have another box set of unreleased music in the next year.

The record industry doesn't have a f*cking clue how to make money. It's only their fault for letting foxes get into the henhouse and then wondering why there's no eggs or chickens. Every little college kid, every freshly-scrubbed little kid's face should have been sued off the face of the earth. They should have taken their houses and cars and nipped it right there in the beginning. Those kids are putting 100,000 to a million people out of work. How can you pick on them? They've got freckles. That's a crook. He may as well be wearing a bandit's mask."

Plans were scrapped, the drink I was enjoying got refilled, and the volume level for the Amon Amarth CD I was playing went way up. How could I NOT comment on this. So you, the reader, will hopefully excuse me this week as I pull out the soap box and make a statement.





An Open Letter To Gene^TM Simmons^TM:



Dear Mr. Simmons^TM,

Wow. That's all I've got to say. So you "have no desire" to record any new material because of us fans, it's our fault. We are just a bunch a college punks downloading music and putting 100,000 to a million people out of work. If you had your way, we would get our asses sued until we lost our cars and homes. That would teach us a lesson! Further, you think the labels are idiots who are losing millions because they don't know what they are doing, and the fact they failed to punish us years ago is the reason behind it.

As if the music industry has lost that many people because of downloading. The money people spend on music has increased over the years. Concert sales alone have doubled this decade. But you know this, because you have no problem touring. The labels that lose money, due so because they fail like any business that is run poorly; welcome to Economics 101. Britney Spears makes over $700,000 per month for the privilege to make a complete ass of herself daily – There's your wasted return on investment, along with every single cookie-cutter repeat the label throws millions at in the hopes the last one will stick. You know who makes money off of that, Entertainment Tonight, not the labels. However, the idiocy of the major labels running around like Enron with a better drug dealer is not the reason we're having this conversation.

The fact you blamed the fans for not recording new music is why we are here.

You know Gene^TM, I think you seriously over estimate the demographic of your audience. If you think you're going to attract the youth of this country with any new material, then you seriously don't get it. College kinds are not going to listen to your music like the kids did 30 years ago. In fact, the ones that would buy a new album are the very same kids from the 70's and 80's, and they do not download songs. Sorry to be the one to break this to you, but you're sound is dated. Sure, you admirably tried to roll with the changing sound-scapes in the 90's with albums like Revenge. You tried hard, but didn't get good sales, only that unworthy intangible thing called critical praise from the rock and metal critics. But artists look for that, not corporate boardrooms, right? When the sales were not up to standards you dropped it and retreated to the hype of the original band line-up, and produced the critical failure Psycho Circus. Yes, it went gold, notably due to hype, but even that tank of gas ran empty real fast. Gold? That's not good enough, is it? Britney could record her kids crying for attention and it would go gold due to the hype. That must have really hit home, and you know how I know that?

I know because it was the last new album Kiss^TM ever put out. I count eight major releases since then, and they are all live albums, box sets, and best of compilations. The only new things are recordings of the same songs live, or the promise of older unreleased material for future box sets. Oh, and you have done exactly one solo album in 2004.

Just how did that little solo album do? That's what I thought. Honestly, I haven't heard it, and it could be the best thing since Elvis appeared on TV, but I doubt it. It would have been a huge seller and made waves, but it wasn't and that is the real issue. You don't want to make a great album; you want to sell an album. Remember when you did both? And isn't it interesting that you had no problem doing that album despite the fact illegal downloading was just as notorious then. Or maybe downloading became the excuse after your album failed to get the sales you wanted. If you think that, then wake up. If some yes man is telling you this, then fire him. I find it difficult to believe that the band that reinvented the rock concert can't adjust to a changed music scene.

You have new endorsement deals, a reality show, DVD releases, and onwards with your business deals, and to be honest I think all of that is great. I'm a free-market guy, and if you can make money on that stuff, the more power to you. People buy it because they like it, and if you provide them entertainment then that is all good. But that is Gene^TM Simmons^TM the entertainer, the media businessman.

This letter is regarding you, the musician. Yes, you have always focused on entertainment – That was the point of your band. But you were also musicians. You recorded music that a generation put on the record player and partied to. You were entertaining, but your music was entertaining and more. Even us hardcore metal kids dug albums like Creatures of the Night and got into your older material, even with the glam. But a lot of people, your fans, they loved you. They didn't join the "Kiss Army" because you were entertaining; they joined because of everything you guys represented, all burned lovingly into your music which they repeatedly played.

We should have seen it sooner: The disco album (whose bright idea was that), the comics, action figures, lunch boxes, and the rest of the merchandising hell. And you know what? You're fans didn't care then because it was part of the whole Kiss^TM experience. They had music they loved to play, with your stuff to collect, and feel part of something special. And you kept coming back. More records, more tours, more Kiss^TM. Sure, some albums didn't always do well, but the fans loved them and you always came back. You were a rock band, the cutting edge of over the top, firing on all cylinders and always there for your fans.

And to think, a quarter century later you are now going to tell those fans, the ones who would buy a new album, that you will not do it and it's their fault.

You know, the first dude I ever met who knew how to play guitar was a huge fan of your band. He knew all your songs, he practiced the guitar parts, and loved to tell stories about how he saw various band members do solo performances, acoustic gigs, and other things we never heard about. He was proud of that and absolutely loved you guys.

I wonder how he feels knowing you won't record a new album, and it's his fault.

You self-righteous-Machiavellian assclown. How dare you blame your fans, the very people that paid your way to the dance in the first place. The fans made you, and gave you the image and money you used to launch Simmons^TM Industries into the media entertainment force you think you are today. And you thank them by telling them this? You tell them that the industry that made you, and the fans that paid you, are the screw ups. News flash, anyone with half a brain knows that you're in this for the money. Money isn't a bad thing, accept when it is the driving force, and it's become patently obvious it's controlling the wheel while you lounge in the back seat flipping off the people chasing behind you.

If you were as smart of a businessman as you pretend to be, you would be on the cutting edge of new technology and taking advantage of the new trends in music. You could be putting your name behind exclusive download labels, or even a website dedicated to bands. How about the first Kiss^TM all digital library on a memory card, with exclusive content like new music (encoding is possible and wouldn't piss off your fans), memory savers for the computer, special website access for additional content, good Lord the list goes on. You could get what? Maybe $99 for something like that plus charge a subscription to your website on top of it. Add streaming live content and it would be a gold mine. Shit, I came up with this in like 5 minutes. YOU, with the right people could run riot and revolutionize the whole damn business. You did it with concerts in the 70's and you could do it in cyber space now. What happened to that guy?

But that is the legacy of an artist, a force of change, and that is not you anymore. You know why you really won't do any new music - Because it doesn't pay as well. You make more money off of reality shows, trademarks, merchandise, paying someone to box up unreleased extras, then you could with new material that will do lackluster sales, as if sales measured success to a real artist. But you have just shown the world that you are not an artist; you're a commercial set to lowest denominator. You want new music? No one home; but if you need some quick entertainment, call 1-900-PAY-GENE. We're not good enough for you to write music, because we're thieves, but you'll take our money on recycled greatest hits packages and DVD's. You know another profession that doesn't respect their customers but will take money for the same old thing over and over again: Prostitution. You're a whore, willing to claw and fight for your share of dollars from every John you despise, but unable to bother doing something useful because it might not pay for your "Life style". You probably trademarked Whore^TM as well. At least we now know the origins of the make-up.

Speaking of face paint, fighting for money, and trademarks, let's talk Kind Diamond. Your lawyers sent a cease-and-desist letter to him because of his face paint; evidently a heavy metal dude in white paint with upside-down crosses, singing in a falsetto voice might be mistaken for you and "confuse the public". Remember that little quote? That's from your attorney letter sent to King. He complied, as he was going to start a new tour so he changed his look to fit his new album, figuring it would be easier than fighting your lawyers in court. You trademarked the bands face paint? That's trademark No. 1,130,566 for trivia buffs. You must think your fans are really stupid to confuse Lick it Up with Abigail.

Oh yea, we know about your litigation happy lawyers. You're infamous for them. Here is a recent one – The threatened lawsuit against the band Kittie. The all girl metal group decided to start their own little label to self release there album, and the label name was "Kiss of Infamy". Evidently, we music fans are too stupid to realize the difference, and it might somehow prevent people from purchasing KISS HITS – The Regurgitated Singles: #19. Like some all girl metal band is a threat to you squeezing a few more dollars out of the work you did 20 years ago. They caved, of course, figuring it would be easier to change the name than spend money on fighting your lawyers.

Nice legacy – You're the music industry equivalent of the nuisance lawsuit.

You know what those two bands have in common, and different from you? They both have put out multiple new albums in the last decade, you have not. They have created something new, you've recycled. They move forward, you keep going back. They spend time playing music; you spend time making business deals. They tour and perform with other bands, you sue other bands. They engage their fans, you blame yours.

The gig is up Simmons^TM. If you really hate the music business and the fans this much, then it is time to get out. That's right. Sell it out, just as if you were selling a company, because that is what it has become to you. Get with your buds and sell the whole Kiss^TM empire off to someone who does care. It's a business to you, so take the final step - You'll be rich. And maybe someone who likes music will do something with your legacy for the fans and make money. What a concept. Maybe we'll get a museum, and I'll go someday and marvel at the glory of the band that once had the greatest show on earth. It would be easier than living with the cheap circus it has become.

Get out of music; you don't want to be here, and were sick of you loitering. Just collect your final paycheck, walk away, and don't let the door hit you in the Ass^TM on the way out.

Thank you.











The Set List
The albums on my playlist this week; some new, some old, always good :

Well, now that that is out of my system, lets talk music!


Wolf - The Black Flame
A great releasethe flew in under the radar last year, The Black Flame is just track after track of in your face traditional heavy metal. Nothing fancy, exotic, or subgenre searching here. These dudes from Sweden push it like its old school with modern production. "I Will Kill Again" simply kills out of the gates, while "The Bite" will leave you hunting for more. Oh skip it, this whole thing rocks, and it warms the heart to see a good band pump it out in such a wonderfully no-nonsense nod to classic metal.

Melechesh - Emissaries
An Israel based band that sings about Mesopotamian/Sumerian mythology, these guys just smoke; one of my top 10 albums of 2006 right here. I can only describe their sound as blackened ethnic/folk infused death metal. Think of how Nile uses Egyptian influences, but instead of just interludes and intros, Melechesh infuses ancient middle-eastern influences into their core sound, straight into the (very technical) riffs. Sound odd? Trust me; it smokes on all of its full-throttled cylinders.

MC5 - Kick Out The Jams
A debut album recorded live in Detroit one October night in 1968 (A month before I was born in the same state), Kick out the Jams is a loud platter of 60's rock and anarchic proto-punk with roots of even more proto-metal. But it really is nothing more than protest 60's rock turned up to 10, the band slugging through their own material and covers with a full born work ethic, the sound amazing that it came from ‘68. Some metal can point to this classic, but more so punk, but the attitude is a snap shot of the true story of rock and roll!

Mosh Pit Fodder
That which deserves to be trampled under the wall of death!

Why in the hell am I being subjected to Christmas music now? Can't you guys wait until after Thanksgiving? I've meet very few people that like it, so who are the radio stations and the stores catering to? How long will it be before Christmas envelopes Halloween as well? Really, isn't it enough that December has been completely consumed by the holiday?

STOP IT. I want to pig out next Thursday before I have to deal with Christmas for five weeks straight.



God, do I need next Thursday off or what… Don't worry; I won't subject you to a Christmas rant. Actually, I have something special planned for you Black-Friday widowers next week…




Final Thoughts

It's been real. Now you be real and go listen to your favorite bands, even if the band itself does not rock and roll all night anymore. And while you're at it, turn it up to 11. If someone sends you a cease-and desist-order, raise the fist of rock and tell then Dan said ‘Hi'.