Gene Simmons says that KISS has “a hundred and fifty” shows left in its “End Of The Road” tour, including a stop at “the coldest place on earth.”
KISS launched its farewell trek in January 2019 but was forced to put it on hold earlier this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a new interview with Marci Wiser of the 95.5 KLOS radio station, Simmons was asked if he thinks live concerts will return in 2021. The KISS bassist/vocalist responded (hear audio below): “The answer is yes. We’ve already booked Europe outdoors. Most of the shows have already sold out. We start in summer. The vaccines are gonna be out there for everybody, oh, by January, February, March at the latest, but we’re gonna be out there a few months after that. And we’ve literally got a hundred and fifty cities booked.”
He continued: “We’re gonna continue this tour, which we stopped after doing a hundred and ten cities. We’ve got another hundred and fifty cities to go, and who knows how long, but some of the later ones are gonna be jaw-dropping. You can’t imagine what we’ve got planned — like, beyond… I said, ‘No. We can really do that?’ They said, ‘Yup. Yup.’ The political people said we can play there. And so there’s gonna be stuff that’s just gonna make you go, ‘That’s the coolest.’
“There’s one place that’s the coldest place on earth,” Gene revealed. “And if you can imagine us playing there with even larger pyro than you’ve ever seen, ’cause there’s nothing around there. But that’s all I’ll say about it.”
KISS recently announced a New Year’s Eve concert at the Atlantis resort in Dubai. Landmarks Live Presents will produce the show live from The Royal Beach at Atlantis Dubai. The show producers claim the event, which will apparently attempt to set the world’s record for largest pyro, will be filmed with more than 50 cameras and 360-degree views. It will be seen via livestream, with a ticket purchase on any computer, mobile device, or Apple TV.
“End Of The Road” was originally scheduled to conclude on July 17, 2021 in New York City but is now expected to last well into 2022.
KISS‘s current lineup consists of original members Simmons and Paul Stanley (guitar, vocals), alongside later band additions, guitarist Tommy Thayer (since 2002) and drummer Eric Singer (on and off since 1991).
Formed in 1973 by Stanley, Simmons, Peter Criss (drums) and Ace Frehley (guitar), KISS staged its first “farewell” tour in 2000, the last to feature the group’s original lineup.
In its 46-year career, KISS has accumulated 23 gold and platinum albums — more than any other U.S. band.
