- KISS is a legendary rock band
- They will playing their last show soon
- Gene Simmons is leaving the band
The bass-thumping, fire-breathing co-founder of KISS promises that this farewell isn't just another rock 'n' roll swindle. It's the real deal, folks! The affair will surely be a bittersweet one, but it's time to face the music. In a recent interview the band's front man Gene Simmons explained the reasons for the inevitable end.
The last KISS goodbye!
Gene gets real with 'Rolling Stone' magazine, declaring, "My hand on the Bible," that KISS's final makeup appearance is as certain as the pyrotechnics at their shows. After a bombastic 50-year journey from obscure clubs to sold-out stadiums, KISS plans to go out with a bang, not a whimper.
There's surely no better place to finish than Madison Square Garden. KISS's journey comes full circle at the Garden, the same spot where they first slapped on the starry-eyed makeup half a century ago. From their meteoric rise in the '70s to their makeup-free '80s slump, and their triumphant return to face paint in '96, KISS has rocked and rolled all night and kept the fans coming back for more.
Yes, the band will end, but the KISS experience…it's immortal." Gene then clarified: "It's the end of touring." Simmons went on to detail some of the ways in which the KISS brand will be kept alive.
"KISS will continue," he said. "There's a KISS museum in Las Vegas at the Rio called KISS World, and oh my goodness, we have KISS cruises, a movie coming out, and we're working on a cartoon show, a lot of stuff. And of course, all the fun toys and games that will continue."
As for the future of KISS performances, he said: "The KISS show will live on in different ways. Yes, that's being planned. It'll also be four to ten different travelling shows. So, you'll be able to be in Japan and have Japanese actors, musicians being us, and at the same time you could go to Vegas or New York or London."
The Last Showdown
The final concert is a hot ticket, but true to KISS's flair for the dramatic, they're offering a pay-per-view spectacle for those who can't snag a seat. Simmons teases the possibility of special guests but insists the spotlight remains on the fans, not celebrity cameos.
Simmons credits the band's longevity to clean living. No booze, no drugs, just pure, adrenaline-fueled rock. It's all about delivering the goods to the KISS Army without the haze of substance abuse clouding the performance.
The band has not been without its controversies on stage, and there is a good chance they will leave fans with a memorable send off. Who knows what that could be?
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Gene shrugs off past critical pans with the swagger of a man who knows the score. The fans, not the critics, have always been the true measure of KISS's success. And as the band prepares for their final bow, it's the fans they aim to thrill, not the naysayers.
The "End Of The Road" tour was originally scheduled to conclude on July 17, 2021 in New York City but has since been extended to late 2023. This was announced in September 2018 following a performance of the band's classic song "Detroit Rock City" on 'America's Got Talent'.
But the end is closer than ever now. Even as the Starchild and the Demon step back, the KISS legacy may continue with new blood. Simmons is open to the idea of passing the torch, and while he may pursue solo ventures, the KISS spectacle as we know it will take its final, glittering breath.
