Gene Simmons’s stage shows scaled back since KISS’s last performance in December 2023, from fire-breathing effects to more classic performances of the band’s hits as well as some solo and cover material.
The bassist recently spoke about how the difference affected the tour costs on the ‘Behind the Setlist’ podcast, saying: “No managers, no private jets, no 20 tractor trailers, no 60-man crew, no huge shows — and the pyro alone for every [KISS] show is ten grand, sometimes 50 [thousand dollars] if you go outdoors. Enormous, enormous costs for doing that.”
Simmons noted that, while he is ‘proud’ of KISS’s extravagant shows, his solo work doesn’t try to copy that vibe. “It’s almost as if you decided to rent some amps in a garage and plug in,” he said, “and then everybody from the neighborhood comes in … It’s very informal and a lot of fun.”
Brent Woods, Brian Tichy, and Zach Throne play with Simmons on the road. Woods also manages the Gene Simmons Band’s travel and concert production, with an assistant handling business affairs.
The group has a spring tour scheduled for 2025 at the moment. They will start playing on April 28 in Tallahassee and stop by the Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank, New Jersey, on May 5 before wrapping up on May 24 in Houston.
