During an appearance on the latest episode of Steve-O’s Wild Ride! podcast, KISS frontman Paul Stanley praised the upcoming KISS avatar show, saying it will be like “Cirque Du Soleil meets ‘Star Wars’ and a KISS concert.”

The technology being used for the KISS avatars, originally developed for ABBA‘s “Voyage” show in London, will allow KISS to stay “on the road” in retirement.

The KISS avatars were created by Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) and were financed and produced by the Swedish company Pophouse Entertainment, which is behind “ABBA Voyage”.

Using cutting-edge technology, Pophouse Entertainment Group, which was founded by ABBA‘s Björn Ulvaeus, will create digital versions of KISS. The project was previewed at the final KISS concert in New York in December 2023.

Regarding his vision for the KISS avatar show, Stanley said in part: “What we’ll be doing with these amazing avatars will take us to another place, another level. Now, those images that were previewed at the end of KISS‘s final gig at the Garden were really — I had mixed feelings about showing those because they’re so early on, they look nothing like that. I mean, the avatars are identical. I mean, they look like us. And I think the idea was really just to show people that we’re going to move on and continue, but it won’t be like that. And what we’re putting together with George Lucas and Pophouse, this amazing company out of Sweden, is an immersive experience that you’ll come to, and there’ll be heat and fire and wind and things flying around.”

Stanley continued: “The idea of us making a recreation of a concert, I mean, how long can you look and go, ‘Wow, that looks just like an amplifier’? That’s not what we’re doing. I would say it’s Cirque Du Soleil meets ‘Star Wars’ and a KISS concert. So it’s gonna be amazing.”

Paul was also full of praise for “ABBA Voyage”, which has been very lucrative since debuting in May 2022. In 2023, the holographic show’s performances numbered 374 and attracted 1,097,597 attendees for an occupancy rate of 97.8%.

“Yeah, that lives in London, and that’s sold out for four years now, I think — every night, eight shows a week,” Stanley said. “And it’s amazing because I’ve seen it twice and the audience is just thrilled and so much a part of it. It’s not like, ‘Oh, we’re watching something that’s not real.’ It’s real… I mean, you can see through the clothes. They move back and forth, they interact. It’s unbelievable. And when I saw it the first time, at the end of the show, the curtain pulled back and the ABBA members as they look today, the four of them, came walking out. And I was, like, ‘Wow, I’m here on this night to see the four of them at the performance.’ But it wasn’t them. That’s how good it is.”

Paul also talked about KISS‘s decision to sell its entire music catalog, likeness and brand name to Pophouse. Asked if he and fellow KISS founder Gene Simmons will remain involved in the way the KISS brand is promoted and marketed going forward, Stanley said: “They want us involved, which is smart. And also it’s a way to ensure, I hate to say purity, but a focus.

“Look, we got it this far,” he explained. “And, they had no intentions of just taking it and them riding off into the sunset. This is a collaboration, and it’s never been done before. I mean, bands sell publishing, songwriters sell their song rights. I dare say that there’s not a band I can think of where anybody wants to buy the band’s likeness and the logos and everything that goes with it.”

Paul added: “You have to imagine that for us to create something and nurture it through the good and the bad for 50 years and then give it to a someone else, it’s like leaving home. Yeah, it’s leaving home. But I’m still who I was. If I was the Starchild before, I’m Starchild now. That doesn’t change. I’m who I’ve been. And it’s such a unique situation that I don’t think anybody else can ever fathom the magnitude, because people have a hard time giving up their publishing; that’s like their babies. Well, we gave up our babies and the house and the block.”

When Steve-O noted that the deal with Pophouse is a way to really ensure that the KISS legacy continues the way that he and Gene want it to, Stanley concurred. “Exactly,” he said. “And to keep it going, as you said, continuously. Bands — I don’t wanna say shelf life, but bands only have a certain amount of lifespan. Certain bands certainly live on through their music. What are we listening to inside? (LED) ZEPPELIN or THE BEATLES. But KISS is so unique, to keep it at the level we want it to be and for the personas to live on, this was a great way to do it. I had no thoughts of selling publishing — that didn’t appeal to me — but this is kind of like finding, I don’t wanna say foster parents, but we researched and did our due diligence and our homework and spent a lot of time with Pophouse also, and they’re great people and totally understand what we are and what we’re doing and what we wanna be.”