Quote Originally Posted by Shoden View Post
Gene Simmons is a filthy money hungry... er actually he fits the Jewish stereotype and he actually is Jewish. XD (I find that insanely funny, its not a pisstake or a stab incase some PC git comes here and hounds me, Simmons is Jewish by blood. The stereotype is they love money!)

I agree they have taken it a bit far with commercialization of everything but is it not respectable? how big they've become? I think it is, I'm not the biggest or most dedicated fan, I just went to a show, wanted to be entertained and well yeah they did alright, what they lacked for musically they made up for in absolute showmanship.

There's a difference between KISS and scene bands, in the fact that scene bands don't even care for their show, they care for their image and commercial value of their music. KISS are money hungry, ripoff, ingenious businessman as well as a band that cashes in on their image which in turn goes into endorsing and merchandising more and making more elaborate shows.

Apart from that, they're just a run of the mill rock band with multiple singers and some catchy songs. Love Gun, God Of Thunder, War Machine.

Actually I liked them best in the no makeup era, typical 80's cheese. urgh XD the horrors, still canny stuff and yeah they are money loving whores but they've earned it, its despicable as much as it is respectable, they were once clowns busking on the streets of new york. now they're rich.

Jammy bastards!

Best show I've seen has to either be Judas Priest or Saxon though, they combined the 2 together, showmanship and musicianship. Metallica were pretty cool but their sound was crap. Newcastle's Metroradio arena sucks.

There are bands that can be considered metal that are still going, haven't changed a bit. Motorhead. I mean who would dare go up to Lemmy and say "do something different!" XD he'd get kicked in, poor sod. Plus they're stubborn, they play what they want as they like it, fair enough.

Lemmy is a god he can do what he wants. Better than KISS anyday
Actually, no. I don't think it's respectable at all. The other bands you've mentioned yourself have made a pretty solid living for themselves without going that route. KISS wanted more money, and compromised everything musically real about themselves to get it. It's their choice, but I really don't see how you can hate on what you refer to as "scene bands" for image and commercial value of music when that's exactly what KISS has done.

The difference is KISS has made millions, and most of these little bands still eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches 3 squares a day riding around the country in a van. Every band is trying to make a living playing music. Maybe some of the newer bands like Killswitch Engage or Behemoth have been more successful. Maybe that is because they have a certain sound that is popular right now, but I don't see Killswitch Engage brand condoms, or Behemoth cologne. KISS has those. Take a look. Some might call it clever marketing, I call it shameless.

Maybe many bands are selling or creating an image for their fans to believe in and follow. I don't buy into it, but I don't blame others who do. I just don't think it's fair to write them off entirely just because they push that image.

I respectfully submit to you, Shoden, that you don't buy their image because you don't buy their sound. If doesn't grab you, and to your ear sounds hollow. Therefore, the image they portray and their fans also ring hollow. So they come across is trying to hard and selling out. Their fans are all fake idiots.

Music and showmanship have gone hand in hand since the beginning of music. Maybe when ancient man first stared leaping and rolling around the campfire to the sound of a simple drumbeat, there was one caveman who didn't buy into the dancing and thought it was idiotic. He just listened to the music.

That's all opinion, though. How badass is Maiden's stage presence and image? I think we can it agree it's legendary. I know there are other people who think it's corny and don't buy it. So to them perhaps Maiden is a corny bunch of sell outs pimping their image and tired sound to their mindless fans.

It all comes back to opinion. The asshole of conversations everywhere.

But yes, Lemmy is a BAMF. Well put.