Enduring rock band KISS played their last-ever live show at New York’s Madison Square Garden on Saturday, 2nd December. In a surprise and rather goofy twist, at the end of the encore, KISS members – including founders Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons – announced that the band would live on as digital avatars.
Addressing the passionate KISS Army, Stanley said, “Your love, your power, has made us immortal.” The virtual band then performed a version of ‘God Gave Rock and Roll to You II,’ which was originally released by KISS in 1991.
A new era begins for KISS
KISS shared a teaser video on YouTube, which shows the band donning motion capture suits. The avatars were developed by George Lucas’ Industrial Light & Magic visual effects company in collaboration with Swedish entertainment company Pophouse Entertainment Group.
According to Pophouse CEO Per Sundin, the digital representation of KISS could perform simultaneous concerts in different cities across continents. Stanley expressed excitement about the band’s immortality, emphasising that KISS is bigger than any individual member.
Simmons also highlighted the possibilities of the band’s digital era in a press release. “We can be forever young and forever iconic, with technology enabling them to achieve feats unimaginable before,” he said. “The technology is going to make Paul jump higher than he’s ever done before.”
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