Rock band Kiss gives its last concert after 50 years – and is on the road as avatars

Kiss first appeared in New York fifty years ago. Now the musicians celebrated their farewell from the stage – but fans can also hope for live experiences as avatars in the future.

The American rock group Kiss (“Rock And Roll All Nite”, “I Was Made For Loving You”) ended their stage career after 50 years with a concert in their hometown of New York City. The cult band played the last concert of their farewell tour ‘End Of The Road’ on Sunday evening in Madison Square Garden, which lasted about five years and included 250 concerts.

“So this is the end of the road,” said singer and guitarist Paul Stanley (71) in front of about 20,000 fans. “But this is an evening of joy, an opportunity to celebrate what we have experienced together.” Kiss, who are as known for their striking make-up and glittering stage costumes as for their spectacular stage shows, had announced an extra load of fireworks for the final concert.

After the last concert, bassist and singer Gene Simmons (74) visibly struggled to keep his composure. “I’m at a loss for words,” he said with tears in his eyes.

Kiss made their live debut in a New York club in January 1973. In addition to founding members Stanley and Simmons, the band also included guitarist Ace Frehley and drummer Peter Criss at the time. Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer have been completing the quartet for about twenty years. Some Kiss fans’ hopes that former members Frehley and Criss would appear as guests at the farewell event were not fulfilled.

However, the musicians’ withdrawal from the stage should not mean the end of Kiss. At Madison Square Garden, the rock stars presented their avatars: virtual images of the band members created by Industrial Light & Magic. The special effects company founded by George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars, also created the avatars for Abba. The Swedish pop band has been on stage virtually since 2022 during the ‘Abba Voyage’ concert show in London.

Simmons, who is considered a big Abba fan, hinted at a similar project for Kiss last year. The band now showed a first visual impression in a video on the website. “We want to take Kiss to the next level,” said Stanley. He initially gave no details about a possible show. (saw/sda/dpa)