Kiss continue as avatars
It seems to be the new solution for ageing stars who don't want to say goodbye to their fans completely - and want to keep the cash register ringing. Just like ABBA, Kiss will continue to perform on stage as avatars. What sounds bizarre goes down well with the Swedish pop giants.
ABBA showed the way with their "ABBA Voyage" show in London, and Kiss also want to continue playing concerts for a long time to come - just no longer in person. The band actually played their last gig last Saturday at New York's Madison Square Garden, but it is still set to continue in a modified form.
Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley and their bandmates no longer want to perform on stage themselves, but they will continue to play as digital avatars. This marks the beginning of a "new era" for the band, as they announced in New York.
In a short video, which is also entitled "KISS - A New Era Begins", the rockers give a brief insight into the creation of the avatars and show the first shots of what the whole thing could look like in upcoming shows. "The end is just the beginning," reads the description. Further details, such as whether a separate arena will be built for the ABBA avatar shows, are not yet available.
"We can live forever"
The 74-year-old Gene Simmons had already said in a Rolling Stone interview before Kiss' last concert: "I'm saying it here and now, my hand on the Bible. It will be the last Kiss performance in make-up." He did not rule out future Kiss concerts without masks and costumes.
The Swedish company Pophouse Entertainment, which is already involved in the ABBA avatar project, announced that Kiss will be able to perform for their fans in this way for several more decades. "We can live forever," the clip also says. "The band will never stop, because the group belongs to the fans." Industrial Light & Magic, a visual effects company founded by 'Star Wars' and 'Indiana Jones' mastermind George Lucas, is responsible for creating the avatars.
According to a report in Music Week, the digital show of the ABBA avatars had welcomed one million visitors about a year after its launch. The shows in London, which are regularly almost sold out, are scheduled to run until the end of 2024.
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In the spirit of ABBA's successful "ABBA Voyage" show, Kiss also plans to continue performing in a digital form, with Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley set to appear as avatars.Refusing to retire fully from the world of rock music, Kiss aims to entertain their fans for several more decades with this new approach.
Source: www.ntv.de
