Kiss icon Gene Simmons is facing criticism for offering a fan experience that costs over $12,000 — but he says there’s a good reason for the hefty price tag: insurance. In a recent interview with 95.9 The Rat’s Carl Craft, Simmons explained that the high cost of the “Roadie for a Day” package isn’t about greed, but about covering the “astronomical” insurance expenses tied to letting fans behind the scenes of a live rock production. The premium experience allows fans to shadow Simmons and his crew during a show day — but that kind of access, he says, doesn’t come cheap.
“Here’s the deal: when I was a kid and I went to see 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,” Gene said (as transcribed 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 on stage with your video, ’cause nowadays everything’s on video. You can’t take a poop without a camera coming in under the stall. And then you get pulled up on stage to sing along with them.
“Now, having said that, we only do one roadie for a day per show,” Simmons continued. “And I’ll tell you why — because nowadays everything is so litigious. That’s a big word, like gymnasium. 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 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.”
Gene clarified that the $12,495 price tag goes beyond typical fan perks, also accounting for financial responsibilities and legal liabilities.
“Somebody has a bad experience and they sue you and it costs you hundreds of thousands of dollars,” he added. “You need insurance for everything. Do you have a car? You’ve got insurance. Everything in life, apparently… In fact, you buy anything — a tool — they give you insurance. Would you like the one-year or three-year? Everything’s insured.”
Gene Simmons‘ solo tour with the Gene Simmons Band, after nearly 20 rescheduled dates now in 2026, will begin on May 2 in Peachtree City, Georgia, and conclude on August 3 in Sturgis, South Dakota.
