KISS have teased their upcoming Las Vegas avatar show.
The ‘KISS Forever’ immersive avatar show is heading to the US city in 2028.
Specific details remain under wraps, but KISS OG members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley discussed the show they’re planning during an appearance at music industry conference Pollstar Live! this week.
During a panel presentation at the Hollywood conference (as per Rolling Stone), Simmons and Stanley were joined by manager Doc McGhee and Pophouse Entertainment CEO Jessica Koravos to chat about their progress on the show.
The pair insisted they intend to outdo other tech-drive attractions such as much-discussed Sphere shows for U2, Phish, and Dead & Company.
“People were saying, ‘Why don’t you play the Sphere?’” Stanley said. “And the truth of it is, the Sphere, at least for me, minimises a band, it makes a band miniature.
“You’re not going there to see a band, you’re going there to see screens. We wanted to incorporate the highest of technology but we want to be the center of it. It’s a very different experience than going to see a postage stamp with a band on it while you’re watching screens. This is the antithesis of it. It’s 180 degrees from that.”
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Simmons and Stanley both praised the realism achieved by Pophouse, the Swedish music catalogue investment firm co-founded by ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus, in shows like ‘ABBA Voyage’, which featured ‘ABBAtars’ performing in a custom-built arena in London.
According to Stanley, the ABBA avatars looked so real he thought he was actually going to get to meet them after the show. McGhee said that seeing the ABBA show directly inspired KISS to create their own avatar show.
The panel discussion didn’t reveal too many details, but Stanley said, “The show is going to be spectacular but it’s only as good as you put into it because the personas are there and acknowledge you.
“It’s very different than anything that’s been out there. We’re your travel guides through basically Kiss worlds as opposed to being limited to the stage.”
