Al "A Bomb" Simmons (Al Schubert) is the newest member to the Rocket Ride lineup, joining in late September, 2017
Al has always dreamed of being "Gene" and that dream came true, when a friend,  from another local tribute highly recommended him.  Rocket Ride contacted Al, setup the audition, and immediately got the spot.  

His story..

It all started for me, listening to my brother's band, which he 7 years older than myself, where I got my passion for music. He gave me a guitar at age 10. I took lessens out of the Mel Bay books for quite a while and it sucked.

A friend of mine offered me my first bass for $35, so I ran the idea by my brother Chuck. He said “Get it! Play bass and play it good and every band will want you”, so I collected money by cutting grass and doing whatever it took (at the age of 13) and I got it - a Kay SG with 3 strings. The rock n roll life had begun. 

My first learning would be attributed to the first Black Sabbath album, AC/DC’s Back In Black and of course KISS ALIVE I. I played those albums front to back and back again. It was always tough before cassette tapes, with no rewind.

My first real band was called Steet Level (a Granite City based classics band). I did my first bar gig at the age of 17,  at a New Years Eve gig in 1985. Swillin Jack n Coke's with the big boys and actually getting paid to do so.

Several other band formations such Zig Zag, with Todd Jones and the late great Bob Coble of Chrome Heart. 

I then went on to other bands such as Steel City and 'Fraid Not, which I was a founding member for around 15 years, and of course Hobo Jungle to present.

In these years I have developed into a total gear junkie and part time luthier, owning and playing about every bass imagine able including some creations of my own.  Part of the collection includes a Gibson Grabber, which I bought when I got the audition for Rocket Ride, then I added a Gibson Ripper after landing the position as Gene with the band.  As of just yesterday (Aug 31st, 2017) I bought a Punisher bass.  Yes, I’m a junkie!!

 

Favorite KISS album: KISS Alive I
1st KISS Concert: Destroyer 1977 Tour
 

My first Kiss show was the 1977 Destroyer tour in Fort Worth, Texas. While we were on vacation, my mom escorted my brother and me to the show.  He was 17 and I was 10 at the time. Gotta thank my brother for putting up with that, just so I could go. Opening act for that one was Bob Seger on his Live Bullet tour. I was hooked onto KISS even more now, spending every Sat. night anticipating that they would appear on Don Kirshner's Rock Concert or of course The Midnight Special - long before MTV, if that matters.