KISS concluded their “End Of The Road” farewell tour with a momentous final performance on Saturday night, December 2, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The iconic rock band surprised fans by revealing their intention to persist in the digital realm.
In a captivating encore, the current KISS lineup, featuring the founding members Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, alongside guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer, gracefully exited the stage. Subsequently, the virtual incarnation of KISS took center stage, delivering a stunning rendition of “God Gave Rock And Roll To You.” This unexpected twist marked a groundbreaking moment, signaling KISS’s commitment to embracing innovative avenues for their musical legacy.
“The end of the road is the beginning of another road,” Stanley told the crowd before the last bows. “We’re not going anywhere. You’ll see us in all different things all the time. We’ll see you in your dreams.”
The KISS avatars were created by Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) and were financed and produced by the Swedish company Pophouse Entertainment, which is behind the successful “ABBA Voyage” show in London.
Per Sundin, CEO of Pophouse Entertainment, told the Associated Press this new technology allows KISS to continue their legacy for “eternity.” He explained: “KISS could have a concert in three cities in the same night across three different continents. That’s what you could do with this.”
Stanley said: “People say, ‘Well, what are you gonna 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.
“I mean, we’ve spent 50 years building it to this point. And by working with ILM and working with Pophouse, we’re all sharing this vision of taking KISS to a completely different level beyond being just a music band. And we’ve always thought of ourselves as more than just a music band.
“What we’ve accomplished has been amazing, but it’s not enough. The band deserves to live on because the band is bigger than we are. It’s exciting for us to go the next step and see KISS immortalized.”
Simmons added: “We can be forever young and forever iconic by taking us to places we’ve never dreamed of before. The technology is going to make Paul jump higher than he’s ever done before.”
The KISS avatars Demon, Starchild, Catman and Spaceman are depicted as “superhero” versions of the band.
In addition to the avatar shows, KISS will continue through other ventures, including a KISS museum in Las Vegas, KISS cruises, an upcoming movie coming out and a cartoon show.
