KISS’ GENE SIMMONS SLAMS REALITY SHOW JUDGES WHO CODDLE CONTESTANTS, PLANS TO LAUNCH HIS OWN SHOW CALLED “COLISEUM”

Gene-Simmons400 Seems like KISS frontman Gene Simmons is no fan of reality show competitions where judges coddle contestants rather than being honest.

“You can’t sugarcoat s–t, pardon me. You can mentor anyone you like, but it’s a waste of time if they don’t have the goods intrinsically,” Simmons told The Hollywood Reporter at MIPCOM where he’s launching his new reality format Coliseum from Sierra/Engine Television.

Simmons is putting his own spin on the TV competition show genre by getting tough on contestants. Why? Because the music industry, like life itself, is cutthroat.

“Your qualification for being on this show is you can sing in the shower? Is that it, without paying any dues or writing songs or any stagecraft?” he questioned. Coliseum sees Simmons, who recently entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, challenging contestants to form rock bands with a winning musical voice and performance.

The KISS bassist will motivate evolving acts before they perform in front of an audience. “We want to open the trap doors of life and get tough. There will be heartbreak, and people are going to cry and their dreams will be shattered, just like in real life,” he said.

Simmons understands what leads singing competition show judges to nurture talent, rather than offer harsh and honest evaluations. “TV shows are fantasy because they’re selling soap suds. It’s family entertainment, it’s primetime, the kids are there, and they [broadcasters] don’t want to get too realistic,” he said.

But Coliseum will prize image over voice when judging talent. “We want to create superstars, not just singers that get record deals,” Simmons said. The other twist is that Coliseum will mix and match artists that contend on the show to find the perfect musical act.

source: hollywoodreporter.com

121 Responses

  2. PLEASE!!!!! Enough of this garbage about Gene Simmons. This news feed is going down hill. How about some real music news to fill in this space. Perhaps it time to acquire real music news elsewhere.

    1. Robbie,

      I apologize in advance if this sounds plucky, but enough with the complaints already. Eddie has explained this ad nauseam, whether you love or hate KISS, they drive traffic and spurn interest.

      If you are looking to avoid KISS stories on music websites, good luck my friend. They appear on most of them, not only this domain. However, this appears to be the one site, in particular, that most readers seem to complain about. How about taking some of that vitriol to Blabbermouth, who has another KISS story today with the headline “PAUL STANLEY: ‘KISS Never Stops’,” or Classic Rock, or Billboard (where I got this story from via The Hollywood Reporter), or Rolling Stone? Get where I am going?

      I just don’t get it, when I see a story on a music website about a band that I don’t like, I just scroll past and skip it. It is as simple as that and called free will, ever heard of it? No one is forcing you to the read the KISS stories, let alone wasting your energy to post a comment just to complain about it. Why do people feel the need to put their demands on a website they don’t run? It simply boogles the mind.

      Anyway, if you choose not to read the site anymore, that your decision. But again, as I stated above, good luck finding any online music magazine that doesn’t cover KISS to some degree.

      Cheers,
      Dana from ET.com 🙂

    2. Kiss elicits a response like no other band. You love to love them, you love to hate them. That in and of itself is a good thing, really. How many people get as passionate about Powerman 5000 (laughing as I typed that) or any other band, really, except the Beatles? When it comes to Kiss, nobody can help themselves. It’s a careening fireball of passion from both sides.

    4. FYI,

      I did not read beyond the headline but sheesh,there is plenty more news that could be posted here on so many other bands and what they are up to. Not putting you or Eddie down,I go back to his DHA days but cmon’……. some KISS music news would be nice not this yo-yo’s opinions all the time-lol

    5. Nothing wrong with KISS or the news but how about something worthwhile to report about KISS music,touring,etc. I do not read Billboard,Blabbermouth but do read Classic Rock on occasion.

    6. You don’t think Gene working on a reality show is news? If it makes you feel better, we didn’t acknowledge the L.A. KISS reality show 🙂

      D 🙂

    7. I don’t think anybody acknowledge that show. Surprised to see Paul Stanley even involved with that one. I wouldn’t know if was the season finale if I saw it watching The Walking Dead.

    8. no, I don’t think it’s news. certainly not newsworthy. I’m sure he’ll be on that other show where famous people dance?

    10. Then just ignore the news feed with any Kiss related news. There is plenty of music news on this site. I just love all the people who jump on the news clips of Kiss and you get over hundred comments and something other than kiss there is just a few comments. this site does present music news and Dana posts news and keeps the peace (does a very good job at that) I’m sure I’m right that Mr. Trunk would say don’t you like what’s herem just stay away (I know I said I wouldn’t comment that was from Gene comments) I agree to the comments Steve D posted Just Gotta love the Net

    13. Robbie,
      Sorry you feel that way, but I think the news feed on this site is great. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: This is NOT a Kiss only site. It’s just that Kiss related stories are usually hot topics for discussion. In fact, and Dana please correct me if I’m mistaken, but I think this is the first news post about Gene since the “rock is dead” story and I think that was well over a month ago. LOTS of other great news stories have come through this site in the last month.

    14. James,

      If you want to get technical the last KISS story was “ACE FREHLEY ON CURRENT KISS GUITARIST TOMMY THAYER: “I COULD SENSE HE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE ME” on September 11th. But, the last Simmons story was indeed the one you mentioned. You have a great memory.

      D 🙂

  3. I’ll always be a huge fan of Simmons but he truly has outlasted his usefulness. All he is is a wealthy old man who is caught up in his own idealism. It is great that his mother survived the nazis. It is also great that he had lots of well deserved success but now it seems that hes been at the party for way too long. The reality shows, the stupid book coming out, and worst of all the L.A. KISS. It is over Gene, you’re a bassist/ singer/ songwriter and all this other stuff is crap. Now he wants to be the new Simon Cowell. Gene, it’s over no kidding. KISS has gone the way of the Atlantic City Casinos. Fond memories of good times. Nobody wants your coffins, condoms, dolls and whatever else. We want your music occasionally in our cars and iPODs. NO MORE. NO MORE. IT IS OVER NOW. GO AWAY.

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