Tommy Thayer states that Las Vegas is “a strong contender” for hosting the KISS avatar show.
Thayer, who joined KISS in February 2003, replacing the band’s original guitarist Ace Frehley, discussed KISS‘s plans for the avatar show in a recent interview with the U.K.’s The Sun.
“A show like this needs a theater which is built specifically for the show, so we have to decide where it’s going to be,” he said. “And there’s considerations about New York, Singapore, Dubai, London, of course, but Las Vegas as well is a strong contender. And I’m a big fan of Las Vegas. This is where I live. So I can see something like that possibly happening here, but we’ll just have to wait and see.”
Using cutting-edge technology, Pophouse Entertainment Group, founded by ABBA‘s Björn Ulvaeus, will create digital versions of KISS. This project was previewed at the final KISS show in New York in December 2023.
The KISS avatar show will follow in the footsteps of “ABBA Voyage,” which features three-dimensional renderings of Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad performing hits like “Chiquitita” and “Fernando” with a 10-piece band. London’s ABBA Arena, built specifically for this show, seats around 3,000 people and features LED screens and 291 speakers for surround sound.
During a recent conversation with Henrique Inglez de Souza from Brazil’s Rockast, KISS bassist Gene Simmons discussed the group’s choice to transfer their music catalog, branding, and image rights to Pophouse.
Plans are underway for a biographical film, a virtual avatar performance, and an immersive KISS experience. Simmons, along with co-founder Paul Stanley, is deeply involved in shaping these ventures in collaboration with Pophouse.
“There will be movies, cartoon shows, all kinds of things, but the avatars are the future of KISS,” Gene said. “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.”
Simmons previously told People magazine that selling band’s catalog seemed like a “natural thing” to do, despite his assertion that the band initially “hadn’t actively pursued” it.
“Life happens while you’re busy making important plans,” Simmons says. “We were planning our respectful, proud walking off into the sunset, because we’ve been touring, we had been touring for half a century.” But Simmons “didn’t want to” go the route of continually touring until they physically couldn’t anymore.
Although the specifics of the Pophouse agreement weren’t formally disclosed, Bloomberg and Associated Press reported it to be valued at over $300 million. Nevertheless, Simmons emphasized that the primary focus of the sale isn’t financial gain, stating, It’s about enjoying life,” while adding, “I’m certainly blessed.”
Reeder, the visionary behind Metal Addicts, has transformed his lifelong passion for metal into a thriving online community for metal aficionados. As a fervent devotee of black metal, Reeder is captivated by its dark, atmospheric, and often unorthodox soundscapes.
