[ad_1]
Meet the new KISS – not the same as the old KISS, but a version that could live forever.
KISS closed out what was billed as the final performance of their “The End of the Road” farewell tour Saturday night at New York City’s Madison Square Garden.
During the encore, cofounders Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons and guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer returned as digital avatars, as Stanley shouted that the faithful had made the band “Immortal.”
The KISS avatars then performed “God Gave Rock and Roll to You.”
The avatars were created by George Lucas’ special-effects company, Industrial Light & Magic, in partnership with Pophouse Entertainment Group, the latter cofounded by ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus. The two companies recently teamed up for the “ABBA Voyage” show in London, a full concert by the Swedish band as performed by their digital avatars.
Sundin, CEO of Pophouse Entertainment, says this new technology allows KISS to continue their legacy for “eternity.” He says the band wasn’t on stage during the virtual performance because “that’s the key thing,” of the future-seeking technology. “KISS could have a concert in three cities in the same night across three different continents. That’s what you could do with this.”
KISS performed in motion capture suits to create the avatars.
“What we’ve accomplished has been amazing, but it’s not enough. The band deserves to live on because the band is bigger than we are,” KISS frontman Paul Stanley said. “It’s exciting for us to go the next step and see KISS immortalized.”
“We can be forever young and forever iconic by taking us to places we’ve never dreamed of before,” KISS bassist Gene Simmons added. “The technology is going to make Paul jump higher than he’s ever done before.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
[ad_2]
Source link
