Now I’m imagining KISS as done by ABBA.
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The company that bought them actually is owned by one the ABBA leads. So, yeah, could be…
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I wonder if the big rock stars who have done this see it as part of their retirement and end-of-life preparation? A company to manage their catalog, image, etc. when they are dead in the hopes they can make a contract good enough to preserve whatever legacy the rock stars think they have.
Really does seem to be a trend. The avatars aspect of this deal stikes me as odd? Ill advised? Ominous?
AI KISS performing concerts in 20 years and AI Gene Simmons subjecting everyone to his assholery for an eternity
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I think there was a precedent with this same company doing a virtual ABBA show a few years ago. They seem to be planning that same thing for KISS in a few years. I could very easily see this being how aging rockers fund their retirement.
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They’re all selling their catalogues, but I’m not aware of any that have sold their band name, their brand, their IP, and even their likenesses, which is what Kiss has done here. They already partnered with this company once for some digital Kiss performance or something, so I suspect they’re going to try to turn Kiss into a virtual AI band now.
ETA: Fizzy beverages to others who essentially said the same. I replied before reading other replies. My bad!
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Good point, but it kind of makes sense, since their imagery was such a big part of the whole package? Back in the day, you could get branded merch that went beyond things you’d expect from musician (tour shirts, etc). You could get a lunch box, toys, costumes, comics… they showed up on cartoons, etc. So, a bit different than other artists who are selling their back catalogs.
Although, now I wish there was a Springsteen branded lunch box from the cover of Darkness on the Edge of Town…
Oh yeah… I don’t doubt it.
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Exactly.
Pophouse wants to turn KISS into an act that remains popular in culture long after its members stop making new music and performing. The company has announced plans to make a biopic about the group, as well as a live music show featuring avatars of its members.
Pophouse has already made a live show featuring the members of ABBA, the legendary Swedish pop group. That show, called ABBA Voyage, is making more than $1 million a week in London. Tens of thousands of fans flock to an arena purpose-built for the show to watch avatars of the group perform hits like Dancing Queen and Chiquitita. ABBA’s Bjorn Ulvaeus founded Pophouse with Swedish investor Conni Jonsson.
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Looks like I could have posted this in the enshittification thread, too, because this is going to be part of the enshittification of pop music, as redundant as some will claim that to be.
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Or the fossilization of it. ABBA and KISS were from my childhood, and I am nearly 60. No way should that be the ongoing state of music. Of course, I am not sure the current state of pop “music” is better. (Damn, do I sound old?) But I am an old prog rocker who was raised on classical and jazz. I appreciate the musicianship and depth of the old prog bands. Largely what led me to heavy metal, which is what prog rock grew up to be.
And he was too old to rock and roll
And he was too young to die
No he was too old to rock and roll
And he was too young to die
No, you’re never too old to rock and roll
If you’re too young to die
And no you’re never too old to rock and roll
But he was too young to die
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I think metal is more of a parallel development with prog rock, with frequent crossover and overlap periods. They’re sort of the Targaryens of the music world. Siblings who keep hooking up and producing incestuous offspring.
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If not themselves- their estates likely will sell.
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Maybe it’s just me but that seems like a really low amount for his catalog
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It might be just me i suppose, took a look because i was curious, looks like Bowie is somewhere in the middle value-wise
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What is this, the asshole Olympics?
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His heel turn continues apace… 
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