Classic Rock
Watch Gene Simmons go into the crowd to confront a heckler
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Gene Simmons left the stage to silence a heckler during a solo performance in Providence, R.I., recently.
Take a look:
Simmons, who was in town to attend the Rhode Island Comic Con, was set to receive a key to the city during an intermission at his show at Veterans Memorial Auditorium on Nov. 12. But an audience member — identified as Josh Martin by Vanyaland — relentlessly interrupted the presentation from East Providence city councilman Brian Faria.
“Is this a f***ing joke?” Martin can be heard yelling in the above video. Later, he said “Shut up and play your guitar,” “I didn’t pay to see a politician” and – in reference to Kiss’ former original guitarist – “Ace [Frehley] is better than this!”
Finally, Simmons seemed to have had enough. He interrupted Faria to ask for help in identifying the heckler. “Put the lights on,” Simmons said. “I wanna see where this jackass is.” He then handed his bass guitar to the city councilman, and began roaming the crowd.
Security proceeded to eject Martin, who reportedly played guitar with the Boston-based noise metal band Anal C*** from 1996 through 2011, when their frontman died. Simmons disappeared into the lobby area, where he apparently spoke with Martin. (No word on whether he said, “I gather darkness to please thee – and I command you to kneel,” but that certainly would have been cool.)
Simmons then returned to the stage, where he took up his bass to continue the show, presumably undisturbed.
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