KISS, long known for their flamboyant costumes, makeup, and pyrotechnics, is not ready to hang up their boots yet. Even though they are currently on their farewell tour, dubbed the End of the Road, they have plans to continue their legacy in a different way: as avatars.
The band recently revealed their avatar project at their Madison Square Garden show on December 11th, where they showed animated versions of themselves on the big screen, performing some of their classic songs. The avatars, which resemble the band members in their prime, are created by Industrial Light & Magic, the same company behind the Star Wars and Marvel movies.
The avatar show, which is reportedly costing $200 million to produce, is inspired by the ABBA avatar show in London, called Voyage, which features digital versions of the Swedish pop group performing live with a 10-piece band. The ABBA show, which opened in November 2023, has been a huge success, selling out tickets and receiving rave reviews from fans and critics alike.
However, not everyone is impressed by the KISS avatar show. Former KISS guitarist Ace Frehley, who left the band in 1982, slammed the idea in an interview last week, saying he thought it was "geared towards children" and "pretty silly". He also said it was "definitely not real rock and roll" and that he preferred to see the band live.
But Gene Simmons has a different opinion. In a video that surfaced on YouTube, Simmons can be seen signing the last bass he played on the End of the Road tour in New York, just days after the Madison Square Garden show. He asked the buyer, Gino Gargiulo, what he thought of the avatars shown on screen at the Garden. He then said, "They're gonna get better, that animated stuff. There's so much being planned, even beyond my comprehension. But they're spending, oh, about $200 million to take it to the next level."
Simmons also compared the KISS avatar show to the ABBA avatar show, saying, "You can't tell if they're there, right there." He added that the KISS avatars would be able to perform in multiple places at the same time, and that they would be able to interact with the audience and each other.
Simmons, who is 74 years old, said he was proud of what KISS has achieved in their 50-year career, and that he wanted to keep the band alive for future generations. He said, "We've done everything we can to give the fans the best show possible. We've broken records, we've sold millions of albums, we've been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. We've done it all. But we're not done yet. We want to leave a legacy that will last forever. And this avatar show is the next level. It's the future of rock and roll."
No word on when the KISS avatar show will debut, but Simmons hinted that it would be soon. He said, "Stay tuned, because you're gonna see something you've never seen before. And you're gonna love it. Because it's KISS. And KISS is the best."
[Source: Classic Hits Today]