Anyone who was alive in the 1980s likely remembers the Satanic Panic that swept the United States. Everyone, particularly middle-class parents, became convinced that their children were at the mercy of a growing movement to convert people to Satanism.
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It was a wild time, and rock bands were under a lot of scrutiny for their imagined involvement in the so-called movement to sacrifice everyone to the devil. Judas Priest and KISS were just two bands that were accused of everything from using Satanic imagery to owning the tongue of a cow to putting secret messages in their music to encourage youths to off themselves.
Again… it was a wild time. And even Bob Dylan seemed to jump on the train.
Did Bob Dylan Think KISS Was a Bit Too Devilish?
KISS’ Gene Simmons wasn’t the first person to experience Bob Dylan’s ire. Dylan had beef with the likes of Don McLean, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, and even The Beatles. But Dylan’s beef with KISS stems from a pretty interesting reason.
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While KISS was getting pummelled with hate from “concerned” parental figures in the midst of the Satanic Panic, Bob Dylan also had similar issues with them.
The born-again Christian Dylan once performed a set at the University of Arizona. His setlist was mostly comprised of religious works. The crowd was starting to get restless, and some started shouting song requests at the “Hurricane” singer.
This, naturally, pissed Dylan off. As the audience shouted song requests, he shouted back: “If you want rock ‘n’ roll, you can go see KISS and rock ‘n’ roll all the way down to the pit.”
It’s worth noting that Dylan’s relationship with KISS has been… complicated. Just a few years before he started accusing KISS fans of going to hell, he donned face paint for his Rolling Thunder Revue Tour. Dylan said that KISS inspired him to wear face paint after seeing them live in Queens back in the day. Though, the truth behind this is disputed.
Just as well, years after he accused KISS fans of going to hell, he collaborated with Gene Simmons for the song “Waiting For The Morning Light”.
Well, at least that beef didn’t last forever.
Photo by Jim Dyson
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