Kiss immortalized in farewell concert
The iconic rock band Kiss played their final farewell concert in New York at the Madison Square Garden this past weekend, leaving their mark on rock and roll history through a groundbreaking move that will ensure their digital immortality. As they left the stage for the last time, the band was replaced by flying avatars that performed their hit song “God Gave Rock ‘n’ Roll to You.”
The cutting-edge technology, initially developed for the Abba Voyage show, will enable the band to stay on the road in retirement. Gene Simmons, the band’s bassist, enthusiastically proclaimed that the band could now be “forever young and forever iconic.” Singer Paul Stanley expressed his excitement, stating, “The band deserves to live on because the band is bigger than we are.”
The avatars were designed by George Lucas’s visual effects company Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) and financed by Swedish conglomerate Pophouse Entertainment, co-owned by Abba’s Björn Ulvaeus. However, Kiss’s avatars seem unlikely to be as grounded in reality as Abba’s digital replicas. The characters that appeared in New York were 8ft tall, breathing fire, and shooting electricity from their fingers, while floating above the audience.
The digital characters were created from data captured while the band performed in motion capture suits earlier this year. Kiss has yet to unveil their plans for the avatars, leaving the future of the band’s digital presence uncertain.
Known for their eye-catching make-up and larger-than-life performances, Kiss became one of the biggest arena rock acts of the 1970s and 80s. Their hits include “Rock And Roll All Nite,” “Black Diamond,” “I Was Made For Lovin’ You” and “Crazy Crazy Nights.”
While Kiss have previously staged farewell tours, they have regularly returned to the road, with the current line-up including founders Stanley and Simmons alongside guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer. It is not thought former members like Peter Criss and Ace Frehley will be part of the avatar shows.
The band’s final concert raises questions about their future beyond the stage. Last summer, Simmons mused about the possibility of recruiting an entirely new band to dress up and perform Kiss’s greatest hits after their retirement. The future holds uncertainty, but the band has undoubtedly cemented its place in music history with a groundbreaking finale.