American rock band KISS, best known in the Seventies and Eighties for their wild sex antics and rock 'n' roll lifestyle, are now becoming... digital avatars.
At the end of their final ever live show at Madison Square Garden on Friday, the sexagenarians and septuagenarians announced that the band will be continuing on as "immortalised" and "reborn" avatars.
Just after KISS had finished its set – closing with Rock and Roll All Nite – and had exited the stage, the new avatars started playing on the giant screen behind the stage. "A New Era Begins", said text over the two-minute clip, as it came to a close to the sound of fans cheering and clapping.
KISS then further confirmed the news with a post and a promotional video shared on X: "Today, A New Era Begins. #KISSARMY, the end is only the beginning!" said the band on Saturday. "KISS have been immortalized and reborn as avatars to rock forever."
In the video, frontman Paul Stanley said: "People say, ‘Well what are you going to do when you stop? Well, the band will never stop because we don’t own the band. The fans own the band, the world owns the band."
The news has, predictably, split fans, with some thrilled at the idea of KISS developing for a new digital-focused world, and others arguing that the old rock legends have completely sold out.
"Couldn't just call it a day and leave it that with a bit of dignity could you..." said one fan on X. "For the love of everything good... Just go away," said another.
KISS has been formed of as many as ten members since its inception in 1973, but the new avatars are of its final line-up: Stanley, Tommy Thayer, Eric Singer and Gene Simmons.
This has also upset some fans: "No mention of Ace and Peter, Bruce Kulick or Vinnie Vincent. No tribute to Eric Carr, Mark St John or Bob Kulick. A horrible final show with no soul and no true celebration of the legacy. This AI thing is a Joke. Always a money grab," said one perturbed listener on X.
Another said: "I’m disappointed that they chose to use senior citizen KISS as the avatars. Using classic era KISS would have been more appealing."
— Donovan Edwards (@dono6971) December 3, 2023
Other fans, however, have been more excited about the band's new venture: "ABBA Voyage is an epic show… if this is how our classic rock bands live on I’m all for it," said one.
Members of KISS have been speaking about retirement for several years: “If we were just another band in t-shirts and trainers, we could do this into our 80s,” said Stanley to Download in 2021. “But we’re running around on stage with 40 or 50 pounds of gear […] and we do it well, but I also know that we can’t do it forever."
KISS will be working with Swedish Entertainment Company Pophouse – the company behind the digital ABBA Voyage avatars – and Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), George Lucas’s special effects company, on their next chapter – though in what form KISS.2 will arrive is still up in the air.
"We’re going to figure it out after the tour,” said Pophouse CEO Per Sundin. “Is it a KISS concert in the future? Is it a rock opera? Is it a musical? A story, an adventure? These four individuals already have superpowers. We want to be as open as possible."
Pophouse and ILM have previously worked together on ABBA Voyage, which premiered in May 2022. The virtual concert has enjoyed huge success, reportedly already making over $150 million in sales.
