KISS bid farewell to their final live tour at Madison Square Garden. However, rather than fading into the annals of rock history, KISS unveiled a plan to transcend the conventional boundaries of retirement, digital avatars.
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Created in collaboration with Industrial Light & Magic, the special effects company founded by George Lucas, and financed by Pophouse Entertainment, the avatars promise to immortalize the band and pave the way for a new era in musical performances.
KISS’s End of the Road tour, spanning four years, concluded with a spectacular final show at Madison Square Garden.
The band, known for its stage presence and elaborate performances, pulled out all the stops for their last hurrah.
As the last chords of “Rock and Roll All Nite” reverberated through the arena, the band vanished in a theatrical display of fire and smoke, setting the stage for their digital avatars to take stage.
Following their disappearing act, the audience witnessed the debut of digital avatars on large screens behind the stage.
These avatars, crafted by Industrial Light & Magic, captured the essence of the band’s younger personas and performed a song, symbolizing a transition into a new era.
The avatars, designed to be ageless and perpetually iconic, were met with a resounding proclamation from Paul Stanley: “Kiss army, your love your power has made us immortal. The new Kiss era starts now.”
The avatars, standing at a 8 feet tall, breathed fire, shot electricity, and were a testament to the advancements in technology.
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Pophouse Entertainment, the company spearheading this venture, expressed plans to organize immersive, avatar-powered concerts using avatars. While the specific details of these plans are yet to be unveiled.
Pophouse Entertainment has a track record of successfully monetizing digital avatars, as seen in their collaboration with ABBA Voyage.
The success of the ABBA avatar shows, reportedly generating $2 million per week. The announcement of KISS’s way into the digital realm questions about the future of live entertainment of avatar-powered concerts.
A band renowned for its savvy merchandising strategies over the past half century, seems well positioned to capitalize on the digital avatar trend. The band’s decision to embrace this technology aligns with a industry shift toward virtual experiences.
The press release from Pophouse Entertainment addresses the potential for avatars to explore various formats, concerts, rock operas, musicals, stories, adventures underlining the possibilities that digital immortality affords.
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The concept of digital immortality, by the creation of avatars, opens up possibilities for musicians to extend their legacies in unprecedented ways. The success of virtual experiences, such as the ABBA Voyage show.
The behind the scenes footage of avatar creation process provides insight into the motion capture technology used to bring these digital versions to life.
The involvement of Industrial Light & Magic, a pioneer in visual effects, ensures a high level of sophistication in the avatars’ design.
Co-founders Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, both in their 70s, expressed enthusiasm for the band’s digital immortality.
Simmons remarked, “KISS is its own universe: movies, merchandise, maybe even Broadway. The band will end, but the KISS experience… is immortal.”
The suggestion of ventures into movies, Broadway shows, and other forms of content indicates a an approach to leverage the avatars beyond concert performances.
The success stories of ABBA’s avatar shows and other virtual experiences, as reported by Bloomberg and Variety, highlight the economic viability of these ventures.
The reported figures, with ABBA’s avatars generating $2 million weekly and the Eras Tour concert video surpassing $250 million in worldwide box office sales.
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