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| Dee Snider responds to Gene Simmons' "rock is dead" statement | |
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+7bgsully Witchfinder Boris2008 007 mlotek Runicen Sword Of The Heretic 11 posters | Author | Message |
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Sword Of The Heretic Metal master
Number of posts : 605 Age : 47
| Subject: Dee Snider responds to Gene Simmons' "rock is dead" statement Thu Sep 11, 2014 12:21 pm | |
| I swear, I thought I saw a thread about this, but I can't find the darn thing. So, here ya go. https://www.facebook.com/facedeesnider/photos/a.698947896782154.1073741826.143114585698824/850769444933331/?type=1 - Dee Snider wrote:
- POINT / COUNTER POINT: "ROCK 'N' ROLL AIN'T DEAD" by Dee Snider
Recently, my esteemed colleague, Gene Simmons of Kiss declared that "Rock 'n' Roll is finally dead". Really?
While I have nothing but respect for Gene, he couldn't be further off the mark. Yes, the rock 'n' roll "business model" that helped Kiss (and my band for that matter) achieve fame and fortune is most certainly long dead and buried, but rock 'n' roll is alive and well and thriving on social media, in the streets, and in clubs and concert halls all over the world. And the bands playing it are more genuine and heartfelt than ever because they are in it for one reason: the love of rock 'n' roll.
Spend some time seeing and listening to these incredible young bands and their rabid fans and you will know that rock 'n' roll couldn't be more alive. Yes, it's not the same as it was for the first 50 years of rock’s existence, but the fire definitely still burns.
And it wasn't some 15 year old kid in Saint Paul, Minnesota (to paraphrase Mr. Simmons) who killed the rock 'n' roll goose that laid the platinum egg...it was greedy, big city, record company moguls who made their own velvet noose to hang themselves with. It was they who took advantage of the consumer (and the artist for that matter) and drove them to use an alternative source of music presented to them.
For example, take the bill of goods the record industry sold the mainstream public when introducing the CD format. "We have to charge more for it, because it's a new technology and there's a cost to setting up the infrastructure to produce them." The consumer believed them--it made sense--so they paid a $18.98 list price for a product they had been paying $7.99 list for previously. After all "you can't break a CD with a hammer!" (Remember that?)
But when the infrastructure was in place and paid for in full, and the cost of producing a CD dropped to less than a dollar, did the record companies roll back the list price in kind? Not on your life. They weren't about to do the right thing and cut their increased revenue stream. Those fat cats were enjoying their ill-gotten gains way too much.
So when the general public finally realized they were being had, and the opportunity arose for them to stick it to the man, what did they do? The same thing their Woodstock Nation, baby boomer parents had done when they had their chance...they stuck it and they stuck it good. Does anyone remember Abbey Hoffman's "Steal this Book", the massive selling, early 70’s hippy guide “focused on ways to fight the government, and against corporations in any way possible.” Multiply that by a googolplex.
Is it hard to make it rock 'n' roll? You bet. Always was, always will be. Will rockers make as much money as they did "back in the day"? Probably not. But that won’t stop them, and they'll be motivated by a much more genuine love of the art, and great rock will continue to be produced, played and embraced by rock fans.
So in conclusion: Record company executives killed the old rock 'n' roll business model…and Rock 'n' Roll Ain't Dead!
Dee Snider/ September 10th, 2014
Last edited by Sword Of The Heretic on Thu Sep 11, 2014 3:30 pm; edited 1 time in total | |
| | | Runicen Heart of Metal
Number of posts : 1598 Age : 41
| Subject: Re: Dee Snider responds to Gene Simmons' "rock is dead" statement Thu Sep 11, 2014 1:36 pm | |
| Wow. That deserves a round of applause.
Pretty much the line I've been riding, but articulated WAY better by someone who lived it out.
And you can't beat his credentials with a stick. Dee worked his ass off in the clubs long before there was a substantive paycheck in it for him. | |
| | | mlotek Heart of Metal
Number of posts : 1226 Age : 56
| Subject: Re: Dee Snider responds to Gene Simmons' "rock is dead" statement Thu Sep 11, 2014 8:10 pm | |
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| | | 007 Metal is my Life
Number of posts : 40915 Age : 56
| Subject: Re: Dee Snider responds to Gene Simmons' "rock is dead" statement Thu Sep 11, 2014 10:06 pm | |
| Well said,Mr. Snider ! | |
| | | Boris2008 Metal is Forever
Number of posts : 7234 Age : 53
| Subject: Re: Dee Snider responds to Gene Simmons' "rock is dead" statement Fri Sep 12, 2014 6:13 am | |
| Yeah, Dee says what some of us on here have been saying for a while (maybe Dee says it a bit better) but they are at cross purposes, Dee is thinking of Rock & Roll and the spirit that inspired the music. Gene is thinking of his profit margin, always has always will.
I hope the music industry does die, and gets replaced by something that doesn't screw over fans & bands alike.You will never, ever stop musicians playing, you will never stop people wanting to hear it. There has to be a way to make sure that people can get paid for what they do without all of the exploitation. | |
| | | Witchfinder Metal is Forever
Number of posts : 7641 Age : 56
| Subject: Re: Dee Snider responds to Gene Simmons' "rock is dead" statement Fri Sep 12, 2014 3:29 pm | |
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| | | bgsully Heart of Metal
Number of posts : 1692 Age : 48
| Subject: Re: Dee Snider responds to Gene Simmons' "rock is dead" statement Sat Sep 13, 2014 4:44 pm | |
| - Dee Snider wrote:
Will rockers make as much money as they did "back in the day"? Probably not. But that won’t stop them, and they'll be motivated by a much more genuine love of the art, and great rock will continue to be produced, played and embraced by rock fans.
[/quote] Great quote! | |
| | | Glower Metal is in my blood
Number of posts : 3222 Age : 60
| Subject: Re: Dee Snider responds to Gene Simmons' "rock is dead" statement Sat Sep 13, 2014 11:06 pm | |
| I was thinking - about how today's music is - and what exactly the future will be - I feel very fortunate to have seen bands like the Ramones - emerge - Eddie Van Halen's sound - KISS, no one knowing who they were - Heavy Metal was obviously the great emergence and, well, how youtube - exposes everything now - no secrets - no mystery - new recording studios - the sound isn't the same - at all - lack of concerts - but the underground sound will always be there - as long as there's youths ! | |
| | | James B. Scurvy Skalliwag
Number of posts : 12862 Age : 60
| Subject: Re: Dee Snider responds to Gene Simmons' "rock is dead" statement Sun Sep 14, 2014 5:29 pm | |
| When Dee said this, he basically cosigned what Gene stated...
" Yes, the rock 'n' roll "business model" that helped Kiss (and my band for that matter) achieve fame and fortune is most certainly long dead and buried"
_________________ | |
| | | Glower Metal is in my blood
Number of posts : 3222 Age : 60
| Subject: Re: Dee Snider responds to Gene Simmons' "rock is dead" statement Sun Sep 14, 2014 11:50 pm | |
| James B - what was your band's name ? ! | |
| | | James B. Scurvy Skalliwag
Number of posts : 12862 Age : 60
| Subject: Re: Dee Snider responds to Gene Simmons' "rock is dead" statement Fri Sep 26, 2014 3:16 pm | |
| - Glower wrote:
- James B - what was your band's name ? !
My post above yours was quoting Dee Snider. _________________ | |
| | | mikeinfla Heart of Metal
Number of posts : 2477 Age : 53
| Subject: Re: Dee Snider responds to Gene Simmons' "rock is dead" statement Fri Sep 26, 2014 5:53 pm | |
| And now Rob Halford replies to Gene's statement:
Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford disagrees with Gene Simmons' argument that rock is dead - and instead Halford insists the genre has never been in better shape. Kiss star Simmons recently claimed the industry offered no support for rising artists, while online piracy had devalued music. He said: "Rock did not die of old age. It was murdered."
That led to responses from Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant, Poison drummer Rikki Rockett and Twisted Sister vocalist Dee Snider.
Now Halford tells Mitch Lafon: “I’ve heard that statement a number of times through the decades. I don’t think it is – I think it’s in incredible shape right now. Never been stronger.
“We’re surrounded constantly by new talent, and the enthusiasm keeps rock alive and strong. I think it’ll always be that way.”
The singer says he keeps watch on websites run from all round the world and detects “strength and power” in the movement. He continues: “It’s different now in terms of the way the industry side works. The internet created a change of perspective. It affected everybody. What I’m saying is, rock isn’t dead – it’s alive, it’s thriving and it’s exciting.”
Halford once believed otherwise, telling Metal Edge in 1997: “Metal is dead and I’m done with it.” He later recanted the statement, branding it “completely stupid” and “ridiculous.” | |
| | | Witchfinder Metal is Forever
Number of posts : 7641 Age : 56
| Subject: Re: Dee Snider responds to Gene Simmons' "rock is dead" statement Fri Sep 26, 2014 5:58 pm | |
| Frankly, it's the best of times and the worst of times. I can get any music that I've ever wanted at the push of a button. Unfortunately the artists are making nothing and their output is considered valueless by the vast majority of people. Thus there's tons of great bands and new music and nobody is listening to it. | |
| | | MetalGuy71 Bukkake Tsunami
Number of posts : 25557 Age : 53
| Subject: Re: Dee Snider responds to Gene Simmons' "rock is dead" statement Wed Oct 01, 2014 4:08 pm | |
| I can see both sides of it. Gene's right about the business end of things (duh!), while Dee and others talk about the passion that drives it. It's gonna be hard to make a buck at it, but the spirit will never die.
There will always be a kid that gets a shiver down his spine the first time he hears a power chord or a cymbal crash and says "Yea I want to do that too!!". _________________ I used to be with it, but then they changed what "it" was. Now what I'm with isn't it, and what's it seems weird and scary to me, and it'll happen to you, too.
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| | | MetalGuy71 Bukkake Tsunami
Number of posts : 25557 Age : 53
| Subject: Re: Dee Snider responds to Gene Simmons' "rock is dead" statement Thu Oct 16, 2014 2:26 pm | |
| Gene's statement sure seems to be getting mileage. Yngwie agrees... - Quote :
- Yngwie Malmsteen says the music industry money machine has died – making it impossible for new acts to break through.
The Swedish guitar icon, like many other artists, blames advances in technology such as file sharing for the demise of the record business.
He tells The Rock Pit: "Basically what happened with the Internet was that the money machine was eliminated. When the money machine was eliminated, all these people who had nothing to do with the music, and who used to make millions of dollars, started to do something else. Then everyone went, 'It’s fine, bands are still signed.'
"But it’s not. The reasons bands were signed and new acts could get a shot was because people thought they could make money from these bands. So the fans got to hear new music while the machine was going around investing a million and getting 10 million back. Now when there's no return, no new bands are being signed or exposed and no record labels are acting like they did before.
"People love heavy metal, people love rock and roll and people love guitar players – but there’s no money in it."
And although he is relieved established acts like his own haven't lost out as much, he fears for the future if the current trend continues.
He adds: "The thing is, if you’re already established, if you’re Judas Priest or Yngwie Malmsteen, you’re fine. There’s no difference, you do what you’ve been doing and it’s the same. But if you’re a nobody and you want to sound really good but you want to start out, you can’t get a tour bus or an opening act slot because there’s no machine to invest in you.
"All the old acts, like Alice Cooper, The Scorpions, The Police and more, they’re bigger than ever. Do you remember the days when there was a new band every f*cking week? It’s not happening! Back then, someone could sink a few hundred grand into a band and make millions.
"If you make a product that people steal and it costs money to make that product, you get no say in who’s going to put money into it." Nikki Sixx doesn't... - Quote :
- "Gene's not the first to not have his finger on the pulse, and won't be the last."
He continued: "Trust me, new blood is boiling in a garage near you just waiting to be the next biggest band in the world. We need them."
And Joe Perry, who is somewhere in the middle... - Quote :
- Asked to weigh in on Gene's comments, Joe told Cie Martin of BamMagazine.com: "Well, I think he's right in the sense that this whole era of rock and roll has dwindled down to literally a cottage industry.
"When we started, being in a rock band was one step away from being an outlaw. No one ever said, 'Oh good, you're playing in a rock band. How wonderful!' But music was so important to the fans, that was our marching music to the revolution. Then to see it growing from that to being the industry that it was in 'the golden years,' as I call them — the '80s and '90s. And then it started to slow down a little.
"But I think that that era of rock bands playing to sold-out arenas and selling millions of records in a pop — yeah, that part of it is dead. I think there are still rock and roll fans. And every time we do a tour, there's a brand-new batch of kids interested in seeing a band that plays all those songs that they grew up listening to.
"But as far as there being another BEATLES? That was Justin Bieber. But did he change the world? Did he change the way we looked at society? No, so that part of it is dead.
"I don't know exactly in what way Gene meant it, but I can certainly agree with him on certain things.
"Stuff moves along, technology moves along. I think there's still going to be an excitement created by seeing your favorite performer live. It might not be the kind of music that you and I like, or Gene likes, but it's still going to be there."
Reports that Gene is looking to copyright the phrase" Rock is Dead" cannot be confirmed at this time. _________________ I used to be with it, but then they changed what "it" was. Now what I'm with isn't it, and what's it seems weird and scary to me, and it'll happen to you, too.
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