New month, but the old guard of rock insists on reminding us that some things never change. And, let’s be honest, good thing too. Because if it were all just music and peace, what the hell would we talk about at the bar?
The Day Gene Simmons Lost the Kiss (and the Gig)
Gene Simmons, Kiss’s Dr. Love, the one who spits fire and tongue — what he doesn’t do is bite his tongue when it comes to politics. Wikimetal reported that the eternal Demon revealed he’d lost jobs because of his comments about Donald Trump.
Look, it’s not like we didn’t know politics cause fights. But for the guy who built a career around makeup, platforms, and showmanship to think he can be a political spokesperson without consequences is, at minimum, naive, right? Or maybe he’s just playing the character of the “businessman who doesn’t care about other people’s opinions” to the bitter end. Which is pretty rock and roll, if you think about it. The problem is when rock and roll pays the bills and politics takes them away. The lesson? Sometimes, silence is golden, especially when your tongue is already worth millions.
Mustaine, the Journalist, and the Imaginary Fight: The Saga That Won’t Die
Speaking of tongues, but now the sharp kind, we have Dave Mustaine of Megadeth. Roadie Crew reported that the redhead decided to cuss out a journalist during a show in Helsinki. The reason? A question about an “imaginary fight” with James Hetfield.
Imaginary? Dave Mustaine and James Hetfield? That’s like saying Cain and Abel’s fight was “imaginary.” The rivalry between Metallica and Megadeth is the bread and butter of thrash metal history. It’s the fight that keeps the universe in orbit. And the journalist, poor bugger, just asked the question every fan would ask. But Mustaine, with the sensitivity of a rhinoceros, turned the stage into a psychotherapist’s couch, except instead of therapy, it was verbal shock treatment.
The truth is, some wounds never heal; they just become legends. And Mustaine seems content to be the guardian of that legend, even if it means blowing up at some poor soul who just wanted a click. It’s the kind of thing that makes us love and hate the rockstar at the same time. And, let’s face it, the show would be a lot more boring if they were all friends and kisses.
Bruce Dickinson and the Hall of Fame: When Honor Is a Joke
And to round off the trio of egos and strong opinions, Bruce Dickinson, the voice of Iron Maiden, publicly stated that the Grammy and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame “mean nothing” to the band. Roadie Crew brought the declaration.
Of course, they mean nothing. For Iron Maiden, who pack stadiums everywhere, sell millions of records, and have a legion of fans who dress up like the band’s mascot, these awards are just trinkets. It’s like the company director who already has his own private island saying the Christmas bonus is “symbolic.” It’s humble-arrogance at its finest, which is so Bruce.
He knows Maiden is on a level where external validation is laughable. Their validation is the audience, longevity, and the ability to release albums that, even after decades, still sound like Iron Maiden, not some band trying to please the academy. It’s a punch to the gut of critics, without even having to raise a hand. And for that, alone, it’s worth more than any Grammy.