Could Kiss Continue with New Band Members?

2022-08-22

Story by Anne Erickson, photo by Ken Settle

Kiss ‘legacy could live on for generations to come, Gene Simmons says

When the guys of Kiss perform their final show on their farewell tour, that doesn’t necessarily mean the Kiss brand will be going away. In fact, there might be a new generation of Kiss years down the road.

Speaking on Dean Delray’s “Let There Be Talk” podcast, singer and bass player Gene Simmons hinted that the group could continue on for decades to come with a young, fresh lineup. He also said that at one time, he actually pitched a reality show to cast the next generation of Kiss, but it never went anywhere. Right now, Kiss is on the band’s “End of the Road” tour. There’s no end date yet.

“We don’t know if it’s [going to be in] New York,” Simmons said when asked about KISS’ final show [as transcribed by Blabbermouth]. “I have good reasons why it should be, but the important thing is when it’s the last show, it’ll be the last show. KISS the touring band will stop. But the touring band. KISS will continue in other ways. I have no problems with four deserving 20-year-olds sticking the makeup back on and hiding their identity.”

Simmons went on to discuss the TV show idea, saying that he and TV producer Mark Burnett pitched a competition show called “KISS: The Next Generation,” but there were no bites. That said, he’s hoping to cement the band’s legacy with a theatrical production.

“Kiss will continue in ways that even I haven’t thought of,” he said. “But I can conceive of… You know, the ‘Blue Man Group’ and ‘Phantom of the Opera’ tours around the world with different personnel. There could and should be a Kiss show, kind of live on stage with effects and everything else, but also semi-autobiographical thing about four knuckleheads off the streets of New York that ends with the last third as a full-blown celebration, a full-on performance. Not with us. Although not a problem stepping in every once in a while.”

Kiss are currently scheduled to perform at the upcoming Louder Than Life and Aftershock festivals, plus a Sept. 21 show in West Palm Beach, Florida. Listen to Gene Simmons’ interview with Dean Delray below.