GENE SIMMONS On KISS Avatars - "There's So Much Being Planned, Even Beyond My Comprehension"
December 18, 2023, a year ago
In the wake of the final show of their career, which took place in New York at Madison Square Garden on December 2nd, KISS shared a video clip along with the following message:
"The end is only the beginning. KISS have been immortalized and reborn as avatars to rock forever. Get exclusive access to the full story, including behind-the-scenes material and the making of the avatars, and be part of the New Era only on kissonline.com."
KISS made the announcement they would continue as digital avatars at the end of their final show. After the band left the stage, the virtual KISS performed "God Gave Rock And Roll To You". Check out the fan-filmed video below.
Paul Stanley: "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."
Gene Simmons: "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 were created by ILM (Industrial Light & Magic) and financed / produced by Pophouse Entertainment, who are responsible for the ABBA Voyage show taking place in London. Pophouse Entertainment was co-founded by ABBA's Björn Ulvaeus.
During a meet-and-greet that followed in the days after KISS' last ever show, Simmons answered a fan's questions about the avatars, saying "They're gonna get better, that animated stuff. There's so much being planned, even beyond my comprehension. But they're spending about $200 million to take it to the next level."
In the clip below, the band reflect on their experiences over the years and what KISS means to them - together with the team behind A New Era, they discuss everything from the band's early years to how their legacy will live on forever with the help of technology.