Posted on 08/10/2021 12:46:31 AM PDT by nickcarraway
In an exclusive conversation with UCR, Gene Simmons revealed his thoughts on touring during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“My druthers would be that everybody is mandated to get vaccines,” the Kiss bassist confesses. “I hope everybody is going to be wearing their masks. But we can only control what we can control and different states and different countries have different rules.”
Kiss is currently slated to resume their End of the Road tour on Aug. 18. The trek spans deep into 2022, with Simmons estimating that the band will add “anywhere between 150 to 200 cities additionally.” In years past, the iconic rock group has offered ticket packages that included meet and greets. However, given health and safety protocols, those have been eliminated for this tour.
“Backstage, we’re not doing any meet and greets. Obviously, we’re giving up a pretty penny, because fans pay a premium to come up and take photos and stuff. That’s gone,” Simmons explains. “We are not allowing roadies or anybody else to be anywhere backstage unless they’re vaccinated and the masks are on the whole time.”
Simmons further explains that he has no time for people who stubbornly insist that COVID vaccinations impede upon their freedoms.
“'I have my rights, don’t tell me what to do.' Which is curious, because you do not have the right to drive down the highway in a car without a seatbelt. You must stop at a red light. That’s not a right you have,” the rocker declares. “And you don’t have the right to walk naked down the street. These are not life-threatening ideas. We’re talking about a fuckin’ pandemic and people are fighting it.”
“I blame our former president,” Simmons admits, referring to Donald Trump, whom he spent extended time with on the reality TV show Celebrity Apprentice. “I knew the man before he entered politics. But he got vaccinated and so have most of the other party.”
Ultimately, Simmons says he’s less concerned with people who choose to stay unvaccinated than those who they may impact.
“I’m not worried -- and it’s unkind to say this -- I’m not worried if an idiot gets COVID and dies,” the rocker matter-of-factly states. “I’m worried he takes other people with him. Who didn’t have a choice. It doesn’t have to be death. Being in a hospital is horrific. There are so many cases of people who were deniers and who are begging in the hospital to get the vaccine. But it’s too late.”
While the End of the Road tour was paused during the pandemic’s height, Simmons reignited his passion for drawing and painting. This fall, the legendary musician will show some of his artwork publicly for the first time. Gene Simmons ArtWorks will run Oct. 14-16 at the Animazing Gallery in Las Vegas.
Who?
“Gene is one of the best at making money from limited ability and I’ve always respected his business acumen but wow has his dude been brainwashed.”
My point was not to question the value of advice given by celebrities to the rest of us - but rather to question why so many non-celebrities seek it out.
These people have achieved at least some degree of success in order to earn their celebrity status. It makes perfect sense that people might want to hear their story - know how they did it - what it was like.
But when stars working on their fifth or sixth marriage get to go on Lettermen and give relationship advice, or stars battling addiction or mental health problems can still go on Colbert and give health advice…
It is obvious that there is an unhealthy and undeserved fascination with what celebrities have to say.
And that’s not even counting the woke hypocrites who fly around in corporate jets while lecturing the rest of us about climate change and white privilege.
I just don’t understand why so many people care so much what a celebrity thinks.
Gene "Hypocrite" Simmons is free to leave the United States and go to any country in the world that would mandate experimental medical treatments on an unwilling population.
He's describing the same Nazi Germany that his family fled. Has he read the part of the Nuremberg Code about permissible testing on human subjects?
....we’re giving up a pretty penny....
Yup, it’s Gene Simmons, not an imposter
Exactly what is he blaming his former President for?? It seems like nothing but a talking point.
i’m not worried if an idiot gets covid and dies, either. One less idiot.
Too bad. I used to like him. Oh Well.
So what’s he supposed to say, given he felt the need to say anything at all? “I truly grieve when someone who refused to get vaccinated gets COVID and dies?” Would that be any better?
But, but, since the vaccine is so effective the only risk is that an unvaccinated person would take out another unvaccinated person, right Gene? And since that other person is unvaccinated that person did have a choice, right Gene?
The poisons labeled COVID vaccines do not prevent the person injected with them from contracting COVID.
The poisons labeled COVID vaccines do not prevent the person injected with them from transmitting COVID.
"druthers"?? Is he still a glam boy rock star or did he just somehow morph into an elderly Canadian grand-mum?
I have heard that and I believe it.
Much like antibiotic resistant bacteria. That’s worked out well, eh?
I guess if Simmons disagrees with what Trump did then he probably agrees with what Biden is doing; which is destroying America. How much of his fame & fortune depends on America? Some of these celebrities just don’t get it...in many ways.
A sub par bassist at that.
He uses gimmicks to hide his below average abilities.
I saw KISS once some 30 odd years ago. Impressive pyrotechnic show. Once was enough.
Got ya. Resume never having listened to a complete Kiss song.
Yes and he’s ugly.
I just received an email over the weekend from my high school girlfriend about the passing of an old classmate. Even though we went to school in Arizona, her family was Canadian. She sprinkled in a few "eh?s" in her message that reminded me she was a Caunck.
You're not a Canadian by any chance, are you?
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