Legendary rock band Kiss have been immortalised following their last ever gig, with the group unveiling a set of digital alter egos, promising their avatars will “change music performance history”.
Made up of Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer - Kiss were first formed in 1973 and have gone on to sell more than 100 million albums worldwide.
After more than 50 years of performing, the band recently concluded what they say was their last live performance ever. Following the concert at Madison Square Garden, the group left the stage to reveal their digital avatars, which they say marks the end of its physical existence “by crossing into the digital world”.
“What we've accomplished has been amazing,” said Kiss frontman, Paul Stanley.
“But it's not enough. The band deserves to live on because the band is bigger than we are.”
The Kiss avatars have been created by Industrial Light & Magic - the visual effects company founded by George Lucas and responsible for advanced performance capture technology used in the likes of Harry Potter, Jurassic Park and Star Wars. Working with ILM, the band’s faces and body performances were captured, forming the basis of their avatars which will be completed using machine learning technology.
Kiss have partnered with Pophouse Entertainment Group on the project, which will continue to champion the band in a physical format with a live avatar show.
Pophouse previously worked with legendary Swedish pop group ABBA to produce the hit show ABBA Voyage - a hybrid virtual and real-life performance seeing digital versions of the group’s members performing 22 of their greatest hits accompanied by a 10-piece live band.
In the Kiss version of the live show, the avatar performance will see the band appear as fantasy-based superheroes, with Demon, Starchild, Catman and Spaceman taking to the stage to perform their greatest hits. JOCOUP Creative - an experiential design firm co-founded by former Universal Creative director Thierry Coup and BRC and Universal Creative alumni Johanna “Jojo” Atilano, is also involved in the project. Coup has been announced as creative director of the upcoming avatar show, though it has not been announced when or where that show will be.
In addition to worldwide performances, the Kiss avatars will be available to appear in future spaces, such as the metaverse.
“We can be forever young and forever iconic by taking us to places we've never dreamed of before,” said Kiss bassist and co-founder Gene Simmons.
“The technology is going to make Paul jump higher than he's ever done before.”
Kiss have been immortalised as digital avatars CREDIT: KISS
Legendary rock band Kiss have been immortalised following their last ever gig, with the group unveiling a set of digital alter egos, promising their avatars will “change music performance history”.
Made up of Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer - Kiss were first formed in 1973 and have gone on to sell more than 100 million albums worldwide.
After more than 50 years of performing, the band recently concluded what they say was their last live performance ever. Following the concert at Madison Square Garden, the group left the stage to reveal their digital avatars, which they say marks the end of its physical existence “by crossing into the digital world”.
“What we've accomplished has been amazing,” said Kiss frontman, Paul Stanley.
“But it's not enough. The band deserves to live on because the band is bigger than we are.”
The Kiss avatars have been created by Industrial Light & Magic - the visual effects company founded by George Lucas and responsible for advanced performance capture technology used in the likes of Harry Potter, Jurassic Park and Star Wars. Working with ILM, the band’s faces and body performances were captured, forming the basis of their avatars which will be completed using machine learning technology.
Kiss have partnered with Pophouse Entertainment Group on the project, which will continue to champion the band in a physical format with a live avatar show.
Pophouse previously worked with legendary Swedish pop group ABBA to produce the hit show ABBA Voyage - a hybrid virtual and real-life performance seeing digital versions of the group’s members performing 22 of their greatest hits accompanied by a 10-piece live band.
In the Kiss version of the live show, the avatar performance will see the band appear as fantasy-based superheroes, with Demon, Starchild, Catman and Spaceman taking to the stage to perform their greatest hits. JOCOUP Creative - an experiential design firm co-founded by former Universal Creative director Thierry Coup and BRC and Universal Creative alumni Johanna “Jojo” Atilano, is also involved in the project. Coup has been announced as creative director of the upcoming avatar show, though it has not been announced when or where that show will be.
In addition to worldwide performances, the Kiss avatars will be available to appear in future spaces, such as the metaverse.
“We can be forever young and forever iconic by taking us to places we've never dreamed of before,” said Kiss bassist and co-founder Gene Simmons.
“The technology is going to make Paul jump higher than he's ever done before.”
Kiss have been immortalised as digital avatars CREDIT: KISS
