Gene Simmons promises Kiss avatars will “get better”
“There’s so much being planned, even beyond my comprehension.”
Gene Simmons of Kiss. Credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty
Gene Simmons has said that Kiss’s new virtual avatars will “get better”, revealing that “about $200 million” is being invested in their creation.
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The band wrapped up their End Of The Road farewell tour on December 2 at Madison Square Garden, where they unveiled their new era as a virtual band.
The avatars were reportedly made by George Lucas’ SFX company, Industrial Light & Magic in conjunction with Pophouse Entertainment Group, which was co-founded by ABBA’s Bjorn Ulvaeus and created the holograms for the Swedish band’s popular Voyage show.
Simmons commented on the progress of the avatars while meeting fans at Electric Lady studios in New York City following their final concert, where he revealed that the holograms should represent something of an advancement in technology.
Speaking to one fan, the bassist and co-vocalist said they’re “gonna get better, that animated stuff”, adding: “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.”
Simmons also said he was impressed by the ABBA Voyage show in London. “You can’t tell if they’re there, right there, like that,” Simmons said. However, it has been reported that the Kiss avatars are less likely to appear as realistic as the ABBA ones.
“We’re going to figure it out after the tour,” Pophouse CEO Per Sundin explained (via BBC). “Is it a Kiss concert in the future? Is it a rock opera? Is it a musical? A story, an adventure?”
However, former Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley has argued that keeping the band going as digital avatars is “not rock and roll”.
In a recent interview with Rock Antenne, Frehley admitted [via Blabbermouth], “I don’t get this avatar thing that they’re gonna do.”
“I mean, I saw some of it on a video on YouTube last night. It kind of looked like it, you know, was geared towards children. And it’s not rock and roll. I get up on stage without backing tracks, plug my guitar into a Marshall and go. That’s it. It’s always been that way and always will be.”