A fan who paid over $12,000 to be Gene Simmons‘ “roadie” for a day has spoken about the experience, saying it was “absolutely worth it”.
KISS bassist Gene Simmons made headlines earlier this year when he announced that he would be offering a fan the chance to be his roadie for a day at the steep price of $12,500 on top of the original ticket price.
For the experience, Simmons would join the fan turned-roadie for a meal, help set up for the gig and introduce them during the show and maybe even sing with the musician. The fan – who is allowed to bring a friend along – will also receive an autographed bass guitar from Simmons himself.
Now, a 52-year-old retired corrections sergeant from New York named Dwayne Rosado has shared about his experience serving as Simmons’ roadie. For the experience, Rosado and his 13-year-old son Zach were shadowed by The New York Times to chronicle the process.
Speaking to The New York Times, Rosado said the eye-watering amount was “absolutely” worth it, revealing that he had recently been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis: “You only live once, and I want to experience life. I’m not going to die with a lot of money. I’m going to die happy.”
During the live show, Simmons invited Dwayne and Zach onto stage, introducing them: “My father wasn’t there when I was growing up, so I’ll tell you, it means the world to me to see a good father who stays with his family and makes sure his kids are raised right.”
Afterwards, Dwayne recounted to The New York Times: “Nothing can beat tonight. It’s cemented in Kisstory now, because it’s going to be on YouTube and everything else. So I’ll get to look back and see that moment forever.”
Prior to the Rosados’ experience, Simmons explained that the hefty price tag for the once-in-a-lifetime experience was due to the “astronomical” insurance costs to ensure everything goes smoothly: “We only do one roadie for a day per show. And I’ll tell you why — because nowadays everything is so litigious. … That means everybody sues everybody for no reason. So if you get a paper cut, somebody gets sued. And that’s just the way life is here in America — much more in California, by the way.
“It’s crazy out here. So, I can’t even, if I wanted to, bring out or do roadie for a day with 10, 20, 30, as many people [as we would like]. So we do one, because the insurance costs for that are astronomical. And so this ain’t cheap. It’s not for everybody. And for that one person, you do have to pay premium numbers. That’s just life.”
Simmons’ North American tour – which was set to kick off last month – has been postponed to “early 2026”. While a cause for the postponement was not revealed, it was confirmed that it was not due to health issues.
Since the postponement of his solo tour, KISS have announced plans for an “unmasked” show in Las Vegas later this year. It will mark the band’s first performance since their 2023 farewell tour.
According to an email sent out to fans, the concert also promises “a special live performance from former KISS member Bruce Kulick, along with other special guests, activities, exclusive experiences and more.”
