KISS might be retired, but this doesn’t mean that Gene Simmons will stop touring altogether. Two weeks ago, the rocker announced a brief run of Spring 2025 U.S. tour dates with his band. The group had scheduled five shows for late April and May until recently. Simmons has added more shows to his 2025 tour schedule, including new dates in San Antonio, Texas, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and Rohnert Park, California.
In a recent interview, Simmons shared that he makes more money per show with his solo band than he did with Kiss at their peak. He explained that the local promoters provide the equipment, and his solo group includes just himself, three band members, and two crew members.
He compared his solo shows to Kiss’s big productions, saying there are no managers, no private jets, and no huge crew or stage setups. Kiss’s shows often had a pyro budget of $10,000 to $50,000.
Simmons also said his solo shows have a more relaxed vibe. “It’s almost as if you decided to rent some amps in a garage and plug in, and then everybody from the neighborhood comes in… It’s very informal and a lot of fun.”
In addition to Simmons, the Gene Simmons Band features guitarists Brent Woods and Zach Throne, along with drummer Brian Tichy.
The band played its second concert of 2024 on April 26 at the Summer Breeze festival at Memorial Da América Latina in São Paulo, Brazil. Their setlist included several KISS classics, along with covers of Motörhead’s ‘Ace Of Spades’ and Led Zeppelin’s ‘Communication Breakdown.’
