Paul Stanley has thrown cold water on internet rumors that Kiss could stage a residency at Las Vegas’ new MSG Sphere.
The multibillion-dollar, state-of-the-art venue has been the talk of music fans everywhere, with many speculating about which artist could follow U2’s opening residency. Despite a long history of incredible live productions, it seems Kiss is not bound for the Sphere.
“I can’t speak to it in any other way except to be honest with you about how I feel now, and the way I feel today is … I can’t really see that happening,” Stanley tells UCR. “As far as I’m concerned, we’re done.”
The final leg of Kiss’ End of the Road farewell tour wraps on Dec. 2 at New York’s Madison Square Garden. Though it will close the book on the band’s touring days, Stanley plans to continue curating Kiss’ catalog and business interests alongside Gene Simmons.
“We couldn’t stop Kiss if we wanted to, because it belongs to the people of the world,” the singer and guitarist explains. “So we can be the keepers and the curators. Kiss will always exist.”
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Is Kiss Really Saying Farewell?
While Stanley and Simmons have remained steadfast in their decision to retire from the road, both have suggested that Kiss could continue in some fashion without them. One suggestion often floated by fans is that other musicians could perform Kiss songs, dressed in the band’s iconic makeup.
“I think anything is possible,” Stanley says, noting that the the band has discussed the concept of a new lineup. “It’s certainly something that we’ve spoken about, but not anything more than that.”
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Stanley points out that there is precedent for bands continuing without key members.
“You’ve seen other bands do it,” he says. “There are no original members of Yes, but it is Yes. It sounds like Yes and it has the spirit of it because over time it evolved to where it is today. Journey — who could’ve imagined that band continuing without Steve Perry? But it did and it’s thrived because the band does a great job. These are great songs that deserve to still be played. As far as us, it’s an obvious question to be asked, and I don’t really know the answer, to be honest with you.”
Stanley says he’s a little surprised that one of Kiss’ ’70s contemporaries, Foreigner, is also on the farewell trail. “You have Foreigner out there without any original members, and their situation to me is a head-scratcher, because from what I understand, Mick [Jones] is pulling the plug because their replacement singer isn’t sure how long he can perform at the level he’s doing,” he says.
“Now, mind you, he’s terrific at singing Lou’s parts, but, I mean, honestly, he’s not Lou,” Stanley adds. “So if he’s a replacement, why not have a replacement for the replacement? The legacy of those songs and that catalog deserves to live on. And I think that’s the case with a lot of bands.”
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Gallery Credit: UCR Staff
