In a recent chat with Guitar World, Tommy Thayer shared early observations on KISS avatars, noting a process of perfecting imagery.
When asked whether the band members being immortalized as avatars was unexpected or surprising, the guitarist replied by saying:
“It’s been interesting doing the avatars so far; it’ll take some time to get the imagery where we want it to be. I haven’t really thought about what it all means in the big picture, but with technology evolving as quickly as it is, there’s no doubt that this is the direction a lot of entertainment is going.”
Financial Investment In The KISS Avatar Project
Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) created the KISS avatars, funded and produced by Swedish company Pophouse Entertainment, known for ‘ABBA Voyage.’ In contrast to ABBA’s lifelike digital replicas in a specially built London arena, KISS’s avatars at their last concert in New York won’t be as grounded in reality.
When he met with fans at Electric Lady Studios in New York City last month, Gene Simmons mentioned an investment of approximately $200 million for the KISS avatars. The bassist asked a fan about their initial impression of the avatars. The fan responded that the avatars in the announcement video looked ‘absolutely amazing,’ leading to a follow-up response from the musician, saying:
“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.”
Future Plans For KISS Avatars
KISS hasn’t shared more information about what they’re going to do with the band’s avatars yet. Pophouse CEO Per Sundin mentioned before the band’s last performance:
“We’re going to figure it out after the tour. Is it a KISS concert in the future? Is it a rock opera? Is it a musical? A story, an adventure? These four individuals already have superpowers. We want to be as open as possible.”
KISS recently shared that fans will need to wait over three years for the band’s first avatar performance. In a video released last month, KISS announced that a show with their avatars is scheduled for 2027, marking 50 years since the band’s formation.
