Rock band
Kiss give a farewell concert and now do it like Abba
Last live performance for Kiss: Gene Simmons at Madison Square Garden. photo
© Evan Agostini/Invision/AP/dpa
Kiss made its first appearance in New York 50 years ago. Now the musicians celebrated their farewell from the stage – but fans can also hope for live experiences in the future.
In Madison Square Garden on Sunday night, the cult band played the last concert of their “End Of The Road” farewell tour, which lasted around five years and 250 concerts.
“So this is the end of the road,” said singer and guitarist Paul Stanley (71) in front of around 20,000 fans. “But this is an evening of joy, an occasion to celebrate what we have experienced together.” Kiss, who are as famous for their striking make-up and glittering stage costumes as they are for spectacular stage shows, had announced an extra load of fireworks for the final concert. After the last concert, bassist and singer Gene Simmons (74) was visibly struggling to keep his composure. “I’m at a loss for words,” he said with tears in his eyes.
Debuted 50 years ago in New York
Kiss made their live debut in a New York club in January 1973. At that time, in addition to the founders Stanley and Simmons, they also included guitarist Ace Frehley and drummer Peter Criss. Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer have completed the quartet for around 20 years. The hopes of some Kiss fans that former members Frehley and Criss would appear as guests at the farewell event were not fulfilled.
However, the musicians’ withdrawal from the stage should not be the end of Kiss. At Madison Square Garden, the rock stars presented their avatars – virtual images of the band members created by Industrial Light & Magic. The special effects company founded by “Star Wars” creator George Lucas also created the avatars for Abba. The Swedish pop band has been on stage virtually in the concert show “Abba Voyage” in London since 2022.
Simmons, who is considered a big Abba fan, hinted at a similar project for Kiss last year. “Of course,” he said in an interview with the German Press Agency. “We’re working on it.” The band now showed a first visual impression in a video on the website. “We want to take Kiss to the next level,” Stanley said. “Kiss will always exist.” He did not initially give any details about a possible show.