Gene Simmons revealed when he met with fans at Electric Lady studios in New York City that KISS invested $200 million in avatars.
The meeting happened over three days after the band’s last concert at Madison Square Garden on December 2. While signing his final stage bass guitar for a fan, Gene asked:
“How did those avatars look when you first saw them? They’re gonna get better, that animated stuff.”
The fan replied that the avatars in the announcement video looked ‘absolutely amazing,’ to which the musician then responded:
“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.”
Comparing To Other Hologram Shows
The fan mentioned to Simmons that his family had seen Michael Jackson’s hologram show in Las Vegas and loved it. He also said a friend had seen the ABBA show in London and found it incredible. Gene agreed, noting he was impressed with the realistic 3D models of people in the ABBA show and added:
“You can’t tell if they’re there, right there, like that.”
Future Plans For KISS Avatars
This month, KISS introduced their virtual band version at their farewell tour’s last show. Their avatars, different from the 1970s ABBA concert replicas in the ‘ABBA Voyage’ show, will be more fantasy-like. These KISS avatars will be eight-foot-tall superheroes with abilities like breathing fire and shooting electricity, floating above the audience. The band hasn’t shared any details about their plans for the band’s avatars yet. CEO of Pophouse, Per Sundin said before the final show:
“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.”
Still, after the announcement of the KISS avatars, Simmons and Paul Stanley faced criticism on social media. Fans expressed opinions that the band should recognize it’s time to step back, appreciating their contributions but suggesting they enjoy their retirement.
You can watch Simmons’ video while talking to the fan below.
