Paul Stanley Pledges to ‘KISS 2020 Goodbye’ With Explosive Sendoff
The Starchild says band will "kick 2020 in the ass with an eight-inch-heel"
By Katherine Turman / www.spin.com
If music does indeed possess the healing powers so often ascribed to it, who better than four “masked” musical super-heroes to kick the dumpster fire that is 2020 to the curb? Slayer might be louder and meaner, U2 more spiritual, but for a feel-good rock ‘n’ roll all nite and party every day ethos that can help put the last 10 months in the rear-view, it’s KISS for the win.
KISS guitarist/singer Paul Stanley promises that “if there’s a way we can kick 2020 in the ass with an eight-inch-heel to say goodbye to it, let’s do it!” Stanley is speaking from pre-Christmas band rehearsals in Los Angeles, conducted under “very strict COVID regulations.” The quartet is readying for a New Year’s Eve show that’s extravagant even by KISS standards. The global livestream concert is taking place at The Royal Beach at Atlantis Dubai and will see Guinness world record attempts during the show for the largest-ever pyro display.
Of course, it takes more than one person to make this happen: The event will be filmed with more than 50 cameras in 4K and 360-degree views, [safely!] employ between 400 and 500 people and will be available globally with a 1080p Livestream and ticketing powered by Tixr. Some lucky revelers will have hotel rooms with balconies overlooking the concert event.
While they’ve toured the world numerous times, Stanley, bassist Gene Simmons, guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer have never been to Dubai.
“I believe, at this point, we have over a million and a half dollars of pyro. It’s absolutely enormous; we’ve never been known for subtlety,” Stanley understates. Expect all the hits, given that KISS is in that “enviable position of having so many songs are considered classic.”
KISS was in the midst of their End of the Road World Tour, with 150 shows left, when the pandemic halted all. So they’ll be bringing that production, and more, to Dubai. “New Year’s Eve will be their final tour show on steroids,” Stanley promises.
