Kiss played the final show of their farewell tour at New York’s Madison Square Garden on Saturday. During the show’s encore they also revealed the next evolution of the band - virtual avatars, of course. The digitised version of the group performed ‘God Gave Rock And Roll To You’, giving fans a preview of a full show that is currently in development.
The animated version of Kiss was created by the George Lucas-founded Industrial Light & Magic and Sweden-based Pophouse Entertainment Group. The two companies are also responsible for the ‘Abba Voyage’ show in London.
Creative Director of the project, Thierry Coup, says: “Collaborating with Pophouse for the Kiss avatar project aligns with my goal of redefining entertainment. Inspired by experiences like ‘Abba Voyage’ and a transformative Kiss concert, this collaboration merges professional expertise with personal passions, offering an exciting opportunity to explore new avenues in digital music experiences”.
As for what you can expect from the show, he adds: “It will be a groundbreaking show that blends the physical and digital worlds. Viewers could be able to take part in exclusive behind-the-scenes access, a time-traveling journey to Kiss’s first show, and the ability to influence the setlist; the possibilities are endless”.
“This immersive experience transcends traditional concert viewing”, he concludes, “creating a vivid sense of presence and participation, deepening the connection with the legendary music and spirit of Kiss”.
Bassist Gene Simmons recently said that he would be “totally open” for Kiss to continue touring with an entirely new line-up of younger musicians. On the plus side, that would provide an option for people who can’t afford what are likely to be very expensive tickets for the avatar show. On the downside, you have to feed real live musicians.
