KISS will expand their empire with the help of the band members' avatars, Gene Simmons assured.
Following the last stop of KISS' End of the Road Tour at Madison Square Garden, the active members decided to let the legacy continue burning by allowing the AI versions of themselves to perform their tracks. It made KISS the first American band to go virtual.
KISS Will Flourish With Avatars
Speaking with Rockast, KISS vocalist and bassist Gene Simmons opened up about the band's decision to transform with the help of Pophouse, the company behind the hit ABBA hologram concerts.
Aside from an avatar show, KISS will also have a biopic and themed experience.
"There will be movies, cartoon shows, all kinds of things, but the avatars are the future of KISS," said Simmons. "And to say they're concerts is too small. It's bigger than that. And I don't wanna say too much. I'm not allowed to. Not yet."
Fans first looked into the project in December 2023 when it was previewed at the band's final show.
Per Simmons, the band members were willing to evolve and embrace modern technology.
"So technology is here. A.I. is here. Virtual reality is here. Everything is here. And we don't wanna be yesterday's news. So even the end of something can be the beginning of something. But we're very excited - and proud. I keep saying proud, because that's what it is," he continued.
KISS Did Something "Naturally"
In a separate interview with People, Simmons said their decision to sell their music catalog, likeness and brand name to Pophouse was expected because it was a "natural thing to do."
"Life happens while you're busy making important plans," he explained. "We were planning our respectful, proud walking off into the sunset, because we've been touring, we had been touring for half a century. If you take a look at Mother Nature, you either evolve or you become extinct."
The details regarding the deal have yet to be disclosed, but the Associated Press and Bloomberg said the partnership was worth $300 million or more.
The Pophouse Entertainment Group and Industrial Light & Magic - George Lucas' special-effects company - created KISS members' AI versions after previously working on the digital avatar version of ABBA. The project helped the bands to perform for eternity with the technology by playing the same show of a certain band simultaneously in different places.
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