Don’t Kiss Them Goodbye: Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons to Continue KISS as Digital Avatars

Minutes after KISS left the stage at New York City’s Madison Square Garden following their final farewell tour performance Saturday night, a new KISS era began. Current band members Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Tommy Thayer, Eric Singer will continue on — virtually.

A video of digital avatars of the foursome appeared on both the Garden’s screens and the KISS Instagram page once the band left the stage on December 2. Posted with the caption “A NEW ERA BEGINS #KISSARMY #KISSNEWERA,” the video provided a glimpse into the making of the avatars, proclaiming, “KISS have been immortalized. Reborn as avatars to rock forever.”

“The future is so exciting,” Simmons said in a clip. “We can live on eternally.”

Stanley added, “The band deserves to live on because the band is bigger than we are.”

After five decades as a band, KISS will continue touring in avatar form, created by Industrial Light & Magic (George Lucas’ special-effects company) in partnership with Pophouse Entertainment Group.

The same companies recently worked on the ABBA avatars for the ABBA Voyage digital shows in London. Pophouse Entertainment CEO Per Sundin said this new avatar technology allows bands like ABBA and KISS to “have a concert in three cities in the same night across three different continents” if they wanted.

Fans can get access to the new KISS era by signing up on the KISS website.