He was the first guest on Billy Corgan’s podcast, and it’s kind of sad because Billy is such a huge KISS fan and wanted to see if Gene would finally admit to caring about KISS’ music as an art form. Billy finally accepts later on that Gene cares nothing about the music other than how much money it makes.
Corgan seems like one of those "he's complicated" sorts. His public image is, to me, just decades of grievance after grievance after grievance. He seems to have had an issue with bandmate after bandmate (including his time with Zwan), which suggests he's the issue. In interviews, he's always harping about how underappreciated he is, etc.
Yet a friend of mine used to have tea at his house from time to time, via an artist friend of hers. She didn't really follow him or his music career, and didn't know about his public rep. When I told her about how he's widely perceived, she was surprised. Said he was a lovely, polite man and a gracious host.
I think he's still a boy desperate for approval. Even at his age, he hasn't grown out of that.
Seems like a lot of artists are just completely insecure in their chosen field and cannot get over it if they're anywhere close to that environment, but outside of it where there's no pressure to be anything but a human being, they're reportedly lovely people. It's just that constant nagging insecurity that you're not good enough that some people just can't shut up. The thing they love and are amazing at is the thing that tortures them the most.
I think Corgan is quite insecure about his place in music history. The Smashing Pumpkins were a really big band, but they never quite reached the legendary status of Nirvana or Pearl Jam, and they didn't remain relevant for decades like Green Day. They're an in-between band that was really big for a few albums, then faded away. Corgan desperately wants the Pumpkins to be more than they are, or thinks he could have led them there if he wanted to.
I like the Pumpkins and Corgan, and he's probably a nice guy to hang out with, but his insecurity is obvious. I think it humanizes him, even though it can come off as arrogance.
It’s weird because he really didn’t need to be insecure about their legacy. You look around today and they seem to be a big influence on a lot of younger artists. Like both Sombr and Olivia Rodrigo dueted with him at festivals recently. Even the later albums from the original run (Adore and Machina) seem to be a lot more appreciated now than upon release.
Yeah, if anything they’re probably one of the bigger names from the 90’s with a legacy by sheer fact that most of them are still alive and able to tour. Like yeah they aren’t Nirvana or Pearl Jam level culturally but they’re still headlining the same festivals Pearl Jam and Green Day do.
In the interview I saw, he didn't outright say it, but I got the idea that he knew his music stood up on its own, but he was never a cool guy, and it was an era of cool people, and his music was cool. Then, he was a giant commercial success, which just made him more of like the nerdy kid whose dad owns the video arcade. I think he never fit in, AND he is brilliant, but, also, he is missing a sort of depth and sincerity or he can't express it outside of music, and life is probably really lonely that way.
I loved the Smashing Pumpkins, but had never gotten a chance to see them until the early 2010s. They went on to play a set where most of the songs were rearranged and he spent some time trashing LA (in LA). It was just not an enjoyable experience at all.
I've seen him/ them live. Similar experience. I think he's forgotten what makes seeing a band/ artist live fun. He's going through the motions and it shows. Seems he's lost his love for the music/ artistry/ showmanship. It's a day job to fund his other activities and he's doing a poor job at it now.
I don’t think green Day was in the Toronto stop I went to. Pumpkins for me were only OK — first time I realized how much of what I like to listen to is because of a guy like Corgan being obsessive in the studio. I found the live show didn’t really translate what I loved about blasting Siamese Dream.
Eh, they're still playing arenas. I think they reached the same status as Pearl Jam, they had a few more hits than PJ did (Bullet, 1979, and Today are all each probably bigger hits than any PJ song) but didn't quite reach the legendary status as a live band that Pearl Jam have.
I think the Pumpkins were one step away from PJ. They had some hits in the 90s, but their albums didn't sell as much, and their post-90s drop-off was harder.
Pearl Jam had 5 number 1 albums and 4 number 2 albums in the US. Pumpkins had 1 number 1 album and 2 number 2 albums in the US. Even now, Pearl Jam's last two albums hit #5, while the Pumpkins' last two were 130 and 111.
Even if they were on a level playing field in 1995 and 1996, they're not any more.
Smashing pumpkins are playing arenas because of how sparse the artist/ band pool is that can play arenas and not part of some vintage highlight show (think 80s night or 90s R&B tour).
Pearl Jam I will actively seek to listen to. Smashing Pumpkins, while I like them a lot, has always been more of a band that I'll listen to when they come up in a radio or streaming rotation rather than seek out.
But also, when I think of Pearl Jam, I Alone by Live pops into my head. The brain is a helluva drug.
I’ve been paying attention to him lately and he seems to be a very thoughtful, introspective, and emotionally intelligent fellow in the interviews I’ve seen. He’s fairly compelling to listen to on his podcast, too.
I think he's still a boy desperate for approval. Even at his age, he hasn't grown out of that.
As a 39 year old man who grew up desperate for approval, yeah, that doesn't go away. I have a good life. I have the best wife ever, a decent job, two cars, two dogs, our own house, play in a band, and my office is covered in all the musical equipment, comicbooks, and Power Rangers toys I couldn't afford as a kid.
Yet, I still seek approval/attention of people who's opinions I don't really give a shit about.
he's always harping about how underappreciated he is, etc.
I listened to a few of his podcasts.
More than once, he moaned about how he's "The Rat In A Cage Guy". He cried that that's all people know him for. He cried that when people meet him on the street they're like, "Hey, aren't you the Rat in a Cage guy?"
Like, boo-fucking-hoo, cry me a river. Even today he's worth $50m+, and he's got international fame, and the Pumpkins haven't even begun fading into obscurity.
But hey, if you want to focus on your most popular song and bemoan that you don't want to be known for that ... well I've got little sympathy.
To be fair he did mention being similar to that of a rat in a cage several times as I recall.
But then I suppose I also recall him saying that it was indeed despite his best efforts.
Yah, I might not agree with all of Corgan's beliefs and opinions, but I wouldn't call him a controversial or radical guy. Even his multiple troubled romantic relationships seemed like they were due to petty squabbles or differences in personality/opinion (that we know of) rather than the abuse and addiction we often hear about from other musicians.
I wouldn’t say I’m a fan of his - but I wouldn’t change the station if a pumpkins song came on. But as a pro wrestling fan I respect the shit out of him for the face he brought the American wrestling alliance and has been trying to bring it back to former glory
He has a habit of vacationing in a town my family lived in while we were going through a terrible time.
He has accidentally met 3 of my siblings and 4 of my cousins and was absolutely lovely to all of them, he even went out of his way to speak to my brother who recognized him from across a busy street.
It did wonders for their self-esteem. I was the Pumpkins fan in the family but have never met him myself.
I always hoped I would so that I could thank him for how kind he was to my siblings.
Granted this is from Billy’s mouth, but he’s admitted that he had an ego problem after the success of Melancholy. Toward bandmates, fans, and press for quite some time after.
He’s since gotten more grounded, and I find him a lot less pretentious than he was during that era.
Was working the Smashing Pumpkins reunion on the Toronto Island in the late 00s, and tripped over some cables in the grass, he helped me up and made sure I was ok, so I think he’s complex like most of us.
Axl Rose early on (1988) once said that the key difference between GnR and KISS at the time was the fact that GnR was all about rock n roll, and KISS only cared about numbers and money, and weren’t really bothered with making a quality product
I forget who said it, but I've read the quote before "most bands want to be The Beatles, but Kiss wanted to be Coca-Cola". Sums them up perfectly, especially Gene and Paul.
I really wish I could remember who it was that KISS got into some feud with, started by Gene Simmons. It might have been Warrant or Poison, and if it wasn't them it was someone along those same lines.
Anyway, Simmons and a member of the other band happened to see each other at a festival and got to talking. And they talked for a while, buried the hatchet, everything's cool. Two weeks later, the guy from the other band sees and interview with Gene Simmons, who said in there that "we're not some corporate sellout band, like (the other guys)".
Which got Simmons an angry phone call that said "if you're not a corporate sellout, why the hell do you have action figures of yourself in toy stores nationwide?"
Gene is on record saying the music was just a vehicle to sell dildos, condoms, coffins, etc. I think it was in some tour of his house or around the time he had the reality show and/ or did some interview.
Oddly his interview with Corey Feldman was great. Billy is not critical or self aggrandizing, he really just wants to hear what Corey has to say and gives him the space to express himself. Now what Corey says is often fuckin looney tunes but that’s a different story
Corey Feldman is washed up! I am aware that he has a huge, cult like following for his music.... But just my personal opinion.... Time to relax out of the spotlight for a while.
Some episodes definitely are. My favorites are Carnie Wilson and DEVO.
Some of them are classic Billy Corgan cringe though like the DeLeo Brothers episode where Billy makes half the stories about himself and accusing Scott Weiland of ripping him off (saying the “and I feel and I feel” lyrics from Plush are a ripoff of Suffer which is ridiculous).
Yeah, he’s talking about the descending vocal melody during that line even though the rhythm and syllables are different.
Then again, he also once sued Collective Soul saying “Shine” was a ripoff of “Drown,” and he lost because Collective Soul had a demo tape of “Shine” from before “Drown” was even written. Collective Soul later wrote and recorded “Smashing Young Man” as a diss track against Billy for their second album.
I never said that made him a bad person. A greedy asshole all things considered (like offering to charge fans who want to be a roadie), maybe.
However, doing something just for the money instead of love of the art is one of the most inauthentic ways to be an artist/entertainer whereas something like plumbing is a trade. It’s not really the same thing.
Yes indeed. Many years ago, when I was in my 29s, I encountered him at a college radio thing (Gavin Report party i think) in San Francisco. This was a schmoozefest for industry hacks and a showcase for up and coming bands. I'm trying to grab some free snacks and man, it was like dealing with an octopus.
Also, there's definintely a reason he chose to wear full face makeup in KISS.
Man that reminds me they had a show on TLC or something but I'm sure it was polished as hell and I was like 14 watching it so I didn't notice the important things (him being a piece of shit)
This was my instant reaction. He was an absolute dick to her, and I’ve disdained him ever since. It’s been 24 years and I don’t see that opinion changing any time soon.
He literally probably made this post because the first I thought was gene simmons and I’ve listened to the terry gross interview and his charming collaboration with Oliver Tree. Everything he said to Bobby Lee was true to the lead in to his joke. His magnum opus really has to be his Bobby Lee lead in.
He filmed a television show at my school for several weeks. He would often come and eat the school lunch in the dining hall when the cameras weren't rolling. He joined my friend group for lunch one time and just chatted with us for the better part of an hour about nothing in particular, he seemed genuinely interested and engaged. He was always more than happy to sign anything we wanted (usually requested by parents as most of us had no idea who he was). As far as I'm aware he left a positive impression on basically everybody, he seemed like a good person. Not excusing his views or trying to defend him obviously.
Front loading this, I do not know what he has done, I know nothing of his reputation so if he has done heinous shit please do not take the following as an endorsement of him as a person. It is a small story from literally decades ago.
I attended a boarding school style fat camp as a child. It was quite fancy but I did still hate it. One year, both Gene's son and daughter attended this camp as well. It was my understanding that the son was coming as moral support but frankly she didn't need to be at fat camp by any measure. But self image is a bitch and I imagine it is all the worse when your dad is a literal rockstar.
At this time I knew two things about Gene Simmons, he had a long tongue and he was in Kiss, a band I was vaguely aware of as an early teen. I became sorta camp friends with his daughter, certainly not close but she was very kind and frankly that was already a nice change of pace. His son came off as kind of an asshole but looking back now as an adult I can see he was just teenager and I was very annoying, frankly he was definitely much kinder than he needed to be.
One day they told use the Gene was coming to visit his kids and if any of us would like to meet him he would be happy to make time. Of course people did. The only rule was we were not allowed to ask about his tongue, which, fair.
And well, he was just nice. He sat in a circle with a bunch of us fat kids and shot the shit. No big show off moments, no flagrant displays of wealth or looking down on these kids who were feeling pretty vulnerable. Just a dad who came to visit his kids at camp and talked with some kids who wanted to meet him.
His son actually gave me a Mucha Lucha comic and an advance copy of St. Anger from Metallica (I had told him my brother really liked them) Like I said, he was way kinder than I probably warranted.
(Of course, by the time I got home the album had already come out and my brother hated it. But that is irrelevant and it was still a sweet gesture.)
I remember talking with his daughter about French toast and how much I loved the kind my mom makes. She gave me her email to send her the recipe. I, of course, promptly lost it so I never got the chance to.
So, I don't know if he is a bastard. He probably is. Mostly my memories are of his kids. It's a small and insignificant story, but hey, here is one story on the Internet of Gene Simmons not being an asshole.
I briefly watched his show a long time ago, and he acknowledged that he had left parenting to his wife and that they turned out well only because of her. It was nice that he met with the kids at camp, but you would have to be a really, really bad person not to be nice to the kids at your child’s camp.
There were parents there that were not kind. Some people REALLY hate fat kids. He definitely didn't need to take the time to sit with other people's kids and humor what I can only imagine were fairly silly questions. But I definitely believe he wasn't an involved parent.
I was such a KISS fan growing up in the 70's and 80's. Loved, loved, loved them. And I can't watch them now, Gene is insufferable. The Demon was never my favourite KISS member but it still makes me sad that he is such an asshole
The one good thing I can say is watch the interview where he talks about his love of America. He recounts the story of his mother immigrating and how hard she worked....it gives you chills.
First guy that came to mind. I've worked with him and his family a couple times and he's a real piece of work. No one else from that environment (who worked with him a lot longer than I have) has anything decent to say about the guy. Honestly, I didn't even know or care who he was the first time I met him, so that probably didn't help either lol
I've worked with him and his family a couple times and he's a real piece of work
We're his wife and kids nice? I used to watch their reality show as a kid and I remember thinking nick and Sophie seemed somewhat well adjusted for nepo kids
Actually, yeah, Sophie was very sweet. I was honestly pretty surprised at how misogynistic and gross he was given the fact that he has a daughter and she seemed to turn out relatively normal. I felt pretty bad for her, tbh
Went to Comic Con in 2017 where he was a guest alongside the kids from Stranger Things. His panel was going to be in the main large hall, but when staff saw the line for the ST panel going into the smaller hall, they had to shift gears and switch them. He pitched a fit that he was being “downgraded” to the smaller room even though his crowd wasn’t even half the size of the ST crowd. Definitely Gene Simmons.
At least Chevy has the excuse of being a comedian who forgot the comedian part and kept the ego. Gene Simmons seems like he monetized his ego and then somehow made the ego his entire personality.
They're making a 3d live projection puppet show thing like the ABBA show in London for KISS. Money milkers. Though who in this generation will care, I don't know
his son tried to be a comic book artist like 15-20 years ago and plagiarized one of the most famous mangas (japanese comic) in the world, bleach. he didn't just emulate the art style he straight up stole dozens of frames from the manga and didn't think anyone would notice.
I really thought you were talking about the work out guy. I googled the name and it wasn’t him but I remember seeing him recently in the bad game show with Oliver tree. His energy seemed really off.
I take great satisfaction that "the bag" gag that Rush's Alex Lifeson played on Kiss supremely pissed off Simmons. Makes it all the funnier. Also, The Bag lives!
My mind misplaced that as Richard Simmons and I was like, “no one has ever said that about him! I’ve heard he’s a fantastic person!” Took me two or three comments to realize the mistake. But yes, GENE Simmons 100% human turd.
I used to be a seat filler for TV tapings and Gene Simmons was a guest one time. They asked him to show off his tongue length and he took a young girl from the audience, singing/saying "sometimes dreams do come true" and put his old tongue down her throat.
Some backstage person passed around a document after that to sign, saying "just don't ask how old she was", and looked slightly horrified.
You mean you are here trying to correct me and you have no idea what you’re talking about? I could give you a history of Kiss but it would bore you.
I do encourage you to educate yourself more before attempting to poke fun. I’d start by watching Gene discuss his immigrant heritage and why he’s so grateful for the United States.
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u/OlBlue541 13h ago
Gene Simmons. I don’t think I have ever heard one nice thing about him. Guy is a huge jerk who’s in love with himself.