Bringing Out The Vault

GENE SIMMONS
8 p.m. Friday, May 4
Foellinger Theatre
3411 Sherman Blvd., Fort Wayne
$59-$99 thru Wooden Nickel Music,
box office, 260-427-6715

Actor. Entrepreneur. Multi-millionaire. Rock and Roll Hall Of Famer and self-described God of Thunder (and less printable names). KISS bassist Gene Simmons is all of these things and more. He does what he wants when he wants and pretty much always has.
Given the success and notoriety Simmons has achieved over the course of his 40-plus years in the entertainment business, there seems to be no reason why he should ever change.
On tour to promote The Vault, a collection of unreleased songs, Simmons will make his very first solo appearance in Fort Wayne with an appearance at the Foellinger Theatre May 4. For those who are hoping for the same theatrics of a full-blown KISS show, be warned that this will likely be more of a casual, laid back kind of show. There will be no makeup, no pyro, no fire-breathing, no platform heels and no elaborate stage design. But what you will get is a night chock full of great musicianship, songs you probably know by heart and maybe a few that you haven’t heard in a while.
Without his longtime KISS partners by his side, Simmons will focus largely on KISS material that featured him as the primary vocalist and songwriter as well as some select songs from The Vault. And it just so happens that 2018 marks the 40th anniversary of the original four KISS solo albums, so it’s likely we’ll get to hear a song or two off of that first Simmons album as well while cover songs are also on play. Simmons and his accomplished band have been known to suddenly break into songs ranging from John Lee Hooker to The Beatles and The Who, so you never quite know what is going to pop up on the setlist. Suffice it to say, the night will be full of surprises.
“It’s no-rules,” Simmons said in a recent interview on Kissonline. “It’s a chance for me to roll up my sleeves. And you should see my arms. I’ve got very pretty arms.”
With KISS off the road for the most part of 2018, Simmons said he wanted to continue to stay busy, so this seemed like the perfect time to launch his first solo tour.
“I’ve never toured or ever did anything outside of KISS before,” Simmons said. “And I’m having a great time. These shows allow me to dig deep and perform obscure material. Of course, you’re going to hear ‘Rock and Roll All Nite,’ but this gives me a chance to perform things like “She’s So European” (from Unmasked) and “Almost Human” (from Love Gun). So anything is possible. But the idea is to do stuff that you would not only get from KISS, but stuff you would never get from KISS.”
The Vault is a culmination of 50 years of recording for Simmons. It boasts 10 CDs containing 150 previously unreleased songs, an exclusive action figure, a photo book and a “very special surprise.” The box set itself stands three feet high and weighs 38 pounds. It includes the first song Simmons ever wrote (“My Uncle Is a Raft”), three songs written with Bob Dylan, some stuff written with Eddie and Alex Van Halen, alternate versions and demos of KISS hits and several other songs performed with all of his other KISS bandmates, both past and present.
“It’s literally and figuratively the biggest box set ever made,” Simmons told Rhinocast. “You can call it a labor of love, but really these songs have just been up in the attic and I didn’t want to let them die. It’s like your children. You want to bring them out in the fresh air and let people see how beautiful they are.”
Simmons has spent the last couple of months hand delivering The Vault to those who have been able to meet the $2,000 price tag. The decision to deliver rather than ship was one of practicality as well as a chance to meet the people who have helped make his life what it is.
“Well, this is the Godzilla of all box sets,” Simmons told ForBassPlayersOnly.com in a rare instance of public vulnerability. “Because of the enormity of it, I didn’t know how I would get this to fans. It’s going to get damaged in shipping, I mean, it’s 40 pounds. Then I thought, you know, I’ve had a really good life, and the only reason I have this life is because of fans, not because of critics, or people in the peanut gallery, but those loyal fans that have been with us for 44 years. There are only a few thousand of these that are being made available around the world, so why not deliver it personally, from my hand into theirs?”
Besides being an iconic rock star, the 68-year-old Simmons is also known as something of a business tycoon, never missing out on a chance to make a dollar or two off his image, the KISS name or just about any other idea that enters his mind. KISS logos have appeared on everything from caskets and urns to pinball machines, comic books and trading cards. Simmons has acted in several big movies over the years and had a fairly successful reality TV show at one time, but The Demon recently faced some backlash over his attempt to trademark the “Metal Horns” or “Devil Horns” hand sign. The gesture, most commonly credited to having been invented by Ronnie James Dio, has remained a bit of a sacred gesticulation among musicians and fans of hard rock and heavy metal and, as such, is fiercely protected by the same. Simmons gave up the patent bid shortly after the filing was made public, but he doesn’t seem to care that many fans condemned his attempt to cash in on the symbol. “I regret nothing,” Simmons told AltPress. “People said, ‘You can’t do that.’ Actually, I can. I can do anything I want to do. Wake up every morning and let your conscience be your guide.”
“Did you know I own the money bag logo?” Simmons continued. “The dollar sign with the bag of money. I own all kinds of things. I own ‘motion pictures’ as a trademark. Anyone who thinks that’s silly — the silliest thing I’ve ever done is wear more makeup and higher heels than your mommy.”