As KISS fans know, the group revealed at the final concert of its farewell tour in December 2023 that plans were in the works for virtual performances featuring digital avatars of each band member. It also was announced that the avatar show won’t premiere until 2027.
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In a new interview, KISS singer/bassist Gene Simmons hesitated to reveal too much about the presentation, but he definitely expressed enthusiasm about the project.
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“No comment,” Simmons said initially when asked if he could share some details about the avatar concert in a video Q&A with host Stefan Adika on the Artists on Record YouTube show.
“Part of the fun of Christmas is when you open your present, you’re shocked and surprised and hopefully delighted,” Simmons added. “So why would I tell you in February what you’re gonna get for Christmas?”
[RELATED: Sao Paolo Rock City: Gene Simmons Lines Up First Post-KISS Gig Plans]
He then noted, “There’s so much hard work being done behind the scenes, and what I’ve seen will blow your mind. So in a very real way, our end is really like the caterpillar becoming the butterfly. The end is the beginning. … You can’t make us go away.”
Why KISS Decided to Stop Tour
The 74-year-old Rock & Roll Hall of Famer proceeded to explain why KISS decided to stop touring.
“[We] stopped touring … for real reasons, because we respect and honor the fans you,” he shared. “You don’t want to be up on that stage with a cane or with a … walker.”
Will There Be Another KISS Kruise?
Adika also asked Simmons if he and Paul Stanley are considering organizing another KISS Kruise that perhaps would feature performances by Simmons’ solo band and Stanley’s Soul Station side project.
“We’re talking about that,” Simmons teased.
Gene Simmons Band’s Tour Plans
The Gene Simmons Band currently has a one-off performance scheduled on April 26 at for the Summer Breeze Open Air Festival in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The group also has lined up a series of gigs this summer in Europe. That trek is slated to run from a July 27 appearance at the Kuopiorock Festival in Kuopio, Finland, through an August 11 performance at the Alcatraz Festival in Kortrijk, Belgium.
Adika asked the veteran rocker if his band also has plans to tour the U.S., to which he answered, “So far nothing.”
You can check out the Gene Simmons Band’s full confirmed schedule at GeneSimmons.com.
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