Following the final show of KISS’ End of the Road farewell tour, bassist/singer Gene Simmons has shared how excited he is about the group’s new era, which will feature digital avatars of the band members performing instead of the real guys. In a YouTube video capturing Simmons signing memorabilia for a KISS super fan, the rocker promised that the look of the band’s animated counterparts will improve from the way they appeared in the promo trailer that debuted at the group’s last concert, held December 2 at Madison Square Garden.
“They’re gonna get better,” Simmons insisted, adding, “It’s absolutely amazing. There’s so much being planned, even beyond my comprehension. … [T]hey’re spending about 200 million [dollars] to take it to the next step.”
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Meanwhile, the fan in the clip, who had purchased the bass that Simmons had played at the December 2 concert, had gushing praise for the avatars when Simmons asked him how he thought they looked in the trailer.
“That video [was] absolutely amazing,” the fan said.
Simmons added, “You can’t tell [that they’re not real].”
Fans React to KISS’ Avatar Plan
KISS’ plan to continue on as avatars have drawn the ire of many fans, including a number who shared their opinions in the comments section of a Blabbermouth.net article focusing on Simmons’ remarks during the merch-signing session.
“Just think what you could do for $200 million that would be better than some LAME light show that will be outdated as soon as it goes live,” one fan wrote. “MONEY GRAB NONSENSE.”
Another remarked, “I’m not gonna sit in an audience and cheer 4 holograms. Been to rock concerts my whole life. How it works is you have your rock heroes on stage and you shout them love, they feed off that and jam out, like a closed feedback loop. This is nothing more than an exhibit. Pretty weird they think this is gonna fly. Narcissistic even.”
Yet another fan, who also had negative feelings about the avatars, at least seemed to be keeping an open mind about the idea.
“I am old school, and I just don’t see how the avatar’s will be a big success,” he offered, “but if somebody is spending $200 million to develop it, I suppose they must know something I [don’t].”
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Details About the KISS Avatar Show
As previously reported, KISS avatar show is being put together with the help of the George Lucas-founded Industrial Light & Magic company and Pophouse Entertainment Group, the Swedish company behind the ABBA Voyage show that’s current running in London.
Featured image via YouTube.
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