KISS’ Gene Simmons recently spoke about the future of his band that’s slowly coming to an end. He addressed their plans of selling their catalog and stated that they need to be offered the right price.
KISS is not only a rock and roll band known just for their music anymore. Throughout the years, the band invested in their looks, stage outfits, makeup, and signature moves which is currently paying them back by becoming an iconic image. KISS is fastly becoming a whole brand name instead of just a band name, and Gene Simmons’ business genius contributed to that.
They are currently showcasing their brand by forming a KISS museum in Las Vegas, Rio Hotel. In the museum, there will be various activities as well to remind the visitor of the band and their songs. Moreover, the band is also stepping into a motion picture, where there will be animated films to not make people forget about KISS.
Recently, Simmons addressed selling their catalog as many iconic artists are currently doing. He mentioned the price Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen asked for their catalogs and implied that KISS would worth more than $400-500 million. According to Gene, KISS has a trademark unlike others and it is worth much more than the artists who sold their music. He also stated that if someone wants to purchase KISS, they will be buying everything that comes with it.
Here is what he stated about KISS’ catalog:
“How much have you got? Bob Dylan sold his stuff for $300-400 million. The problem–and I love the guy and worship the ground he walks on–but [his music] isn’t going to mean a lot to a 20-year-old. They don’t care about ‘The Times They Are A-Changin’,’ ‘Maggie’s Farm,’ they just don’t. Very few pieces of the music stand the test of time. What KISS has that no other musical entity has are trademarks. Our faces are bigger than the music, bigger than anything.
Springsteen just sold for $500 million and what you get is the music, not the imagery. I’ve never seen a Springsteen cartoon, comic book, or action figures. KISS is the only one. So what you’re buying into, if anyone does the right price, you’re into buying the imagery that has stood the test of time. Our analogy is Santa Claus/Superman: Imagery that is trademarked so that no one can reproduce. And no other musical act has that.”
KISS is currently on their farewell tour and is slowly saying goodbye to stage and touring. One of the main reasons for that decision is that they are not able to perform as they used to because of the members, especially the 72-year-old Simmons and the 69-year-old Stanley. Therefore, they are focusing to exist in some other ways than music in the future.
