Legendary rock band KISS bid farewell to their live touring days after a successful 50-year career. But instead of disappearing from the music scene altogether, the band plans to continue entertaining fans through the use of digital avatars.
During their final show at New York’s Madison Square Garden, KISS amazed the audience with 8-foot-tall holograms of the band members floating above the crowd. These holograms performed a robotic rendition of one of their popular songs, marking the beginning of a new era for the iconic band.
Gene Simmons, one of the members of KISS, expressed his excitement about the technology, stating that it allows the band to stay “forever young and forever iconic.” The digital avatars were created in collaboration with Industrial Light & Magic, George Lucas’s special effects company, and Pophouse Entertainment Group, co-founded by Bjรถrn Ulvaeus of Abba.
KISS has joined the growing trend of using holograms in live performances, following the success of Abba’s digitally hallucinated 3D version for their “Abba Voyage” show in London. The demand for holographic performances has been rising, with reports suggesting that people are willing to pay real-life ticket prices to witness these spectacles. Abba’s show, for example, reportedly earns over $2.5 million per week.
Aside from their holographic endeavors, KISS is renowned for their wide range of merchandise. Fans can find unique and unusual items such as an empty bag of “air guitar strings,” limited edition KISS x Hello Kitty toilet paper, and even a $5,000 KISS coffin. With the band’s partnership with holographic technology, there is potential for future projects such as concerts, rock operas, or musicals featuring the digital avatars.
The use of holograms in live performances is not new, with previous successful hologram tours featuring deceased musicians like Frank Zappa, Roy Orbison, and Whitney Houston. As holographic technology becomes more affordable and accessible, we can expect to see more holographic appearances from aging rock stars and various other musicians in the future.
KISS’s farewell tour may signal the end of their live performances, but it certainly does not mark the end of their presence in the music world. Their decision to embrace holographic technology ensures that their legacy lives on, captivating old and new fans alike with their digitally recreated performances.
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