KISS goes virtual: Gene Simmons reveals $200 Million investment in avatar extravaganza
Hold on to your face paint, KISS fans! The legendary rock band is planning to take the virtual stage by storm with a mind-blowing investment of “about 200 million” dollars into their very own avatar show. Gene Simmons revealed the investment during an exclusive meet-and-greet at Electric Lady studios in New York City, where he shared the futuristic plans that will keep KISS performing – even in retirement.
As previously revealed, KISS is embracing the cutting-edge technology originally developed for ABBA‘s “Voyage” show in London. The brainchild of Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) and funded by the masterminds behind “ABBA Voyage,” Pophouse Entertainment, these avatars promise to redefine the concert experience.
While ABBA‘s avatars stick to recreating a ’70s concert vibe, the band is cranking things up a notch. Essentially, the new show will showcase the iconic rockers transformed into eight-foot-tall, fire-breathing, electricity-shooting superheroes, floating above the audience in a spectacle that’s more fantasy than reality. According to BBC News, the KISS avatars are set to dazzle with a larger-than-life presence that will leave fans in awe.
Gene Simmons hinted at the limitless possibilities for the group’s avatar adventure after the band’s final concert at Madison Square Garden on December 2.
While autographing the very last bass guitar he ever played on stage for one particular fan, Gene asked him (see video below): “How did those avatars look when you first saw them? They’re gonna get better, that animated stuff.” When the fan responded that the avatars looked “absolutely amazing” in the announcement video, Gene continued: “There’s so much being planned, even beyond my comprehension.
“But they’re spending, oh, about 200 million [dollars] to take it to the next level.” The fan then told Gene that he and his family saw the Michael Jackson show in Las Vegas that revolves around the use of a hologram and that they thought “it was amazing.” The fan added that a friend of his saw the ABBA show in London and that he said “it was just incredible.” Gene concurred, saying that he was impressed with how the ABBA show features really accurately modeled 3D versions of real people. “You can’t tell if they’re there, right there, like that,” Simmons said.
Pophouse CEO Per Sundin teased, “Is it a KISS concert in the future? Is it a rock opera? A musical? A story, an adventure? These four individuals already have superpowers. We want to be as open as possible.”
Prepare to enter the metaverse, as KISS pioneers a new era in virtual performances. With the avatars set to grace live shows worldwide and make a digital splash in online settings, the iconic, makeup clad band is poised to become the first American band to fully embrace the virtual realm and stage their own avatar show.
Behind the scenes, JOCOUP Creative, led by former Universal Creative director Thierry Coup and industry veterans Johanna “Jojo” Atilano, is taking charge. Thierry Coup, announced as the creative director of the KISS avatar show, brings a wealth of experience to ensure this virtual journey is nothing short of spectacular.
As KISS catapults into the digital frontier, the anticipation for their avatar show is reaching a fever pitch. With a fusion of cutting-edge technology, larger-than-life personas, and the creative genius of the KISS team, fans can expect a virtual experience that transcends the boundaries of traditional concerts. The stage is set, the avatars are ready, and KISS is about to redefine the future of live performances in a way only they can.