Yesterday, Gene Simmons gave his keynote speech at Canadian Music Week 2009. Blogger Bob Lefsetz ripped apart reviewed Simmons’ keynote speech last night only to
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Gene Simmons at thursday’s CMW keynote. Photo/matthew filipowich
awake to a response from Gene Simmons himself. Lefsetz critisized Simmons keynote for resembling more of a infomercial and “a product promotion…for the latest iteration of Simmons Records.”
Today, Gene Simmons and Bob Lefsetz met face to face at Canadian Music to duke it out in an all out music industry brawl.
You can read yesterday’s thrashing below, or listen to audio from today’s confrontation here (40min).
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Bob Lefsetz and Gene Simmons duke it out at CMW today. Lefsetz seemed the clear winner of today’s debate with Simmons responding to Lefsetz many tough accusations and questions with “Who are you?” “What have you done?” and “What are your credentials?” Simmons drew boos from the crowd with an off-colour comment about Kurt Cobain’s suicide where he said “Kurt Cobain? Between you and I, I’m not willing to blow my head off to get on the cover of rolling stone”. photos/Matthew Filipowich
Here’s an exerpt from yesterdays online brawl from Lefsetz.com
LEFSETZ: “Imagine youre stranded on a desert island and you stumble upon a
member of the opposite sex. Youre thrilled! Youre gonna have
someone to talk to, youre gonna make love until the Coast Guard
finally figures out your ship sank and rescues you.
And this person may not be a beauty queen, but hey, he or she is all
right. At least thats what you think at first. Maybe you even have
sex and forget your plight for a moment or two. But then, even though
youre exhausted, your partner just wont give up. Insists on having
sex every hour, being coddled, all the while telling you how fucking
hot they are. It would almost be enough to get you to jump back into
the water and swim to your death.
Thats what listening to Gene Simmons is like.”
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LEFSETZ:”Gene showed a five minute promotional film that was such an assault, the guy in front of me put his hands over his ears.”
SIMMONS:I THINK YOU MISUNDERSTOOD. THAT WAS YOUR GIRLFRIEND. AND YOU WERE TALKING TOO LOUD. SHE WANTED TO SEE AND HEAR GENE SIMMONS. NOT YOU.
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LEFSETZ: “Truly, it was relentless. Gene with that bizarre hairdo sponsored by Brillo”
SIMMONS: “NOW, NOW…NO NEED TO BE JEALOUS, BABY. JUST BECAUSE I
REMEMBER YOUR MOMMY BACKSTAGE AND THEN AT THE HOTEL IS NO REASON TO BE
ENVIOUS OF MY GOOD LOOKS.”
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LEFSETZ:” Sure, theres salesmanship involved in becoming a successful musical act, but thats not ninety percent of the equation.”
SIMMONS: SAYS WHO, BITCH. YOU? AND, WHATS THE NAME OF YOUR BAND. AND WHATS YOUR QUALIFICATION FOR SAYING OR DOING ANYTHING?
Read the full thing here
Listen to the complete audio from today’s cage match here (40 min)
They both had good points. But to sum up the whole debate. The music industry is in serious problems and has been for the last 5 years & maybe a little more. CD’s just aren’t selling nor is there a method that’s can implement a mp3 to be downloaded for sales only. We are in a time of chaos in the music industry. And if money could help out mp3’s and CD’s to sell again I don’t think that Gene would of personally flew up to Canada for a music submit. Times are rough and there is no sufficient solution to sold it yet.
I don’t think that was the message the two parties were trying to get across exactly. The whole jist of the debate was whether or not Gene Simmons, and the Simmons method, would be successful in turning a local band into a powerhouse. Gene argued that the power should be put in the hands of the label (360 deal) while Lefsetz argued that the old method doesn’t work anymore and a strong (online) fanbase is needed, not an oversaturation of the global market.
I think they both agreed on the fact that CD’s aren’t selling, but they had differing views on what will make a band popular.