Paul Stanley has shared fresh insight into KISS’s highly anticipated avatar show, promising a groundbreaking experience that will redefine what fans can expect from a live performance.
In a new interview with Rock Of Nations With Dave Kinchen And Shane McEachern, Stanley spoke enthusiastically about the project, which is currently slated to premiere in 2027. The show will utilize cutting-edge technology originally developed for ABBA’s acclaimed Voyage production in London—an innovation that allows artists to appear on stage as lifelike digital avatars.
According to Stanley, the upcoming KISS production will go far beyond anything typically associated with holograms or virtual performances.
“Well, the band continues,” Stanley said. “Without touring, there’s so much in the pipeline. This avatar show that’s going to be in Vegas is gonna blow everybody’s minds. It’s not like what some people have called holograms and all this kind of experimental and kitschy stuff. This is seeing us. This is as real as I am, and I think it’s gonna just blow people away. And it extends the band that much further.”
The avatar concept will effectively allow KISS to remain “on the road” even after retiring from traditional touring, opening a new chapter for the band’s legacy. Stanley emphasized that this approach reflects KISS’s long-standing commitment to pushing boundaries and doing things differently from their peers.
“There’s no reason for us to live within the boundaries of other rock bands,” he added. “They live within those boundaries because that’s all they can be. And it’s great, but we are not that — we’re KISS.”
In a separate interview with Ultimate Classic Rock, Gene Simmons echoed that excitement, making bold claims about the scale and immersive nature of the upcoming production.
“We’re gonna blow your socks off in a way multiple times more exciting than the Sphere. People who go to Vegas to see a show in the Sphere are awed by the massive scale of everything. There’s nothing wrong with the Sphere, [but] I’ll go out on a limb and make sure people understand this [the KISS avatars] is gonna make that seem like popcorn fart. It’ll be mind-blowing.”
According to Gene, the KISS avatar show will “attack the senses as well. If you see a dragon coming in to scoop you up and it breathes fire, there will be fire all around you, and you’ll feel the heat. The fire, the brimstone, the coffee, you’ll be able to smell it. We attack the senses instead of virtual reality, which only attacks the eyes.”
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.
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