Kiss bassist and vocalist Gene Simmons has spoken about the group's decision to stop touring in 2022, saying it was all about "respecting" their fans.
In a new interview with NewsNation's The Hill, Simmons reflected on the band's End Of The Road farewell tour, insisting that it was the right time for them to bow out.
"You’ve got to know when to gracefully and proudly step off that stage, because you have to understand that Kiss was and continues to be the only band of its type," he said.
"Every show I had to spit fire ... fly through the air, keep my tongue out all the time. Wear 70 lbs, as much as that, or as little as 50 to 60 lbs of armour, studs, guitars, and all on seven-inch platformed boots for two hours. It’s exhausting. I’m 77 now, and boy, do I look good. But you’ve got to know — you’ve got to respect the fans enough to know when to get off that stage.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Simmons talked about the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in music, expressing hope about the possibilities it offers. On whether it will help or harm the music industry, he said: "It doesn't matter. The future is here. You've got to learn how to use it, otherwise it will use you."
For Kiss, this means the development of an avatar-based live show reportedly set to launch in Las Vegas in 2028. With Simmons revealing earlier this year that “Kiss was actually sold - the makeup and the tunes and the publishing and all that" for a presumably eye-watering sum of money, creative control for this show now rests with the Swedish music and entertainment firm Pophouse.
Co-founded by ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus, Pophouse has already produced several notable live music experiences and virtual concerts, including the record-breaking ABBA Voyage show.
Speaking in a promotional video for the avatar concert, Simmons explained: "We can be forever young and forever iconic by taking us to places we’ve never dreamt of before."
"The technology is going to make [rhythm guitarist and co-lead vocalist] Paul [Stanley] jump higher than he’s ever done before ... If you think you are going to get rid of us then that's not going to happen."
