Dee Snider has called out Gene Simmons on his “self-serving bullshit” in regards to the Kiss bassist/vocalist’s much-quoted belief that rock music is dead.
Simmons originally shared his much-debated thoughts about the death of rock in a 2014 interview with Esquire magazine, and has stood by his words every time he’s challenged on the statement.
“‘Rock is dead’ — you bet your ass it is — not because the talent isn’t there, but because the business model just doesn’t work,” he told the Consequence website in March.
“It’s not going to affect me,” Simmons added. “I make a living, but the new bands need the love and attention. Don’t just go see Metallica and Taylor [Swift] or Kiss. On the weekends, go to a place that’s got live music… You need to support the new generation of talented people who are musicians and writers and so on. Don’t let the robots take away everything.”
Speaking to the same website, however, former Twisted Sister frontman Snider, who’s currently promoting his single I Gotta Rock (Again), gave Simmons’ words short shrift.
“He makes me crazy!” says Snider. “I mean, I love him, I love Kiss, but I wish he would just shut the hell up with this. And he doubles down on it. This statement of ‘rock’s dead, there are no rock stars,’ all that shit, it’s so self-serving and self absorbed. It’s selfish!”
He added, “It’s like, ‘It’s not doing it my way, it doesn’t have value. It’s not the way it was when I was coming up, so it’s not rock ‘n’ roll anymore.’ Anyway, that’s bullshit!”
In a recent interview with Ultimate Classic Rock, Snider revealed that he tested positive for COVID-19, despite being fully vaccinated. The singer believes he contracted the virus from his grandkids following a trip to Disneyland.
Dee Snider's new album Leave A Scar – his second collaboration with Hatebreed's Jamey Jasta – is out now on Napalm Records.
