I imagine that everyone who is even occasionally online, was informed about KISS’ seemingly last concert at Madison Square Garden a few days ago and about the band’s decision to…continue in perpetuity in the form of…Avatars! Yes…you read that right! In fact, the official presentation took place at the end of the Garden concert with the Avatars playing “God Gave Rock N’ Roll To You II”. The truth is that every business move – because make no mistake, every KISS move is first and foremost business and secondarily artistic – is judged by the people and by the end result, not by a…minority of romantic fans. But is it a minority or even a loud minority, as Paulie would say in Rocky IV?
In early 1996 when KISS announced the reunion of the original line-up with Ace and Peter, they were fulfilling the dreams of many fans who had rightly held the band’s make-up era in a prominent position. So we travelled to Europe and saw the famous KISS show, and with the original line-up. Not once, not twice, but three times. And then came “Psycho Circus”. Obviously, no comment on this one for many different reasons. And if you think all of these events have nothing to do with Avatars 2024, you’re wrong. That’s exactly when KISS stopped being a recording band and decided to become a touring circus with their only strength being the show and the “nostalgia” factor which was fading over time for the aforementioned romantic fans.
Stanley & Simmons often dropped hints that KISS would continue as a band through other members as another Vegas show. They settled (or did they?) on Avatars believing that this is what would fill the void felt by their millions of fans around the world. I’ll give an indication of what KISS fans, or at least KISS fans with good judgment who don’t accept every Stanley/Simmons decision as gospel, would really want:
Α) From 1996 to the present, KISS learned 25 songs (maybe I’m saying too many) that they have been reproducing for nearly three decades by memorizing every line Stanley robotically said to the world. A clerk’s job certainly holds greater thrills. So what true KISS fans would want was more, different songs and a good old rock spontaneity. Just like old times, brother!
B) Ace’s replacement effortlessly accepted to be a mere clone without the slightest personal element on stage. Even Ace’s solos sometimes don’t sound right and the guy is more uninteresting and boring on stage than a butterfly-collectors convention. So, what real KISS fans would want was a more…interesting guitarist who would add his own touch and not just be an…avatar of Ace.
C) We’d like the once iconic KISS frontman to sing properly and not playback. For those who think he’s been vocalizing normally for the last 4-5 years, you can easily believe in Santa Claus…it’s the same thing. Personally I was in the second row as part of the End of the Road Tour 3+ years ago and it was very obvious the playback to everyone below. So, what real KISS fans would want is…truth and not plausibility.
D) Since 2014 Stanley has lost any shred of dignity among KISS fans. We’re talking about a guy we once admired and now he’s turned into…a cook of hard rock. He’s more interested in Brussels pumpkins than getting into a studio and writing a song. So the real KISS fans want good old Stanley.
Q) At the last concert there was not the slightest mention of Bill Aucoin, Neil Bogart, Sean Delaney. In case those names are not familiar to you, let’s just say that without a hint of hyperbole if it weren’t for those 3 people KISS wouldn’t exist. So, what true KISS fans would want was a reference to the glory KISS years.
F) Last KISS concert without Ace, Peter, Bruce, Vinnie. Well…Vinnie is a nutcase. The others? The Garden wasn’t celebrating KISS’ 50th anniversary but Paul and Gene’s 50th. So, true KISS fans would want all the family members on stage.
G) Avatars…do you think KISS or rather the quintessential KISS is captured in this technological construct? Yes, the American kids will likely support it. I don’t know…I doubt it, but I don’t know. The quintessential KISS is in their discography (primarily) and the legacy you leave behind. How do you manage that? By re-releasing the back catalogue in a rational order and most importantly at affordable prices for everyone. KISS fans exist, you know, even in poor countries. Perhaps, younger KISS fans who put “I Was Made…” on Spotify have no problem. The real KISS fans…do.
In conclusion, I don’t know if this is the brave new world at rock shows, but in my eyes it’s a failed experiment that proves KISS have hit rock bottom again having lost any shred of dignity. Of course, that has been lost for at least a decade now…
PS: Obviously we could write a lot more but I think all of the above captures the basic idea of our concept.
Sakis Nikas
