Kiss
KISS fans, you’re going to want to sit down for this one. There’s a chance that one of the most influential rock bands on the planet is about to say goodbye. Rumors abound in the world of metal that KISS is planning to do their last tour ever, and it might be happening in 2019.
RTT News had the scoop on what started the rumors: The owner of the band’s intellectual property rights, Kiss Catalog Ltd., recently filed an application at the USPTO or US Patent and Trademark Office to claim the word mark “The End of the Road.” With the help of a professional Patent Attorney, their application was filed on February 8, 2018, and intends to have exclusive usage of the words as a standard character mark, specifically for “live performances by a musical band.” Many fans are considering this to be proof that the band is starting to organize its final tour.
In addition to this, Paul Stanley recently announced that the band is gearing up for a big 2019 tour. CNBC got in touch with The Starchild in an April interview where he revealed the news. “A major Kiss tour, I would say, starts at the end of January… This will be the biggest tour we’ve done, the biggest show we’ve done.” However, in the interview, Stanley didn’t mention anything about ending the band.
On the contrary, interviews in the past reveal that both Stanley and the band’s current manager are interested in keeping KISS alive – even without any of the original members. Stanley explains that support around the band has formed a kind of tribe – an aesthetic and passion that, although started by the original members, can fully exist with completely new musicians performing their hearts out onstage. As KISS manager Doc McGhee explains their fans already know what to expect, from the band. “They came here to have fun, to see shit blown up, people flying around. It’s fucking Cirque Du Soleil… That’s what Kiss is – Kiss is a way of life.”
Kiss
So, is a KISS farewell tour really in the works? There is a possibility. Echoing Stanley’s sentiments, some fans speculate that it could just be “The End of the Road” for the band’s original members. It could be time for the younger members of KISS to don the iconic makeup and armor full-time, continuing the founders’ work of spreading blood, rock, and heavy metal.
The end of this road could signal the beginning of a “new” KISS, which is good news for the band’s legions of fans worldwide. If you’re active online, you already know that the KISS Army is still very much alive and well. Right here on Metal Nexus, we recently did a story on Yayo “KISS Guy” Sanchez – the viral Foo Fighters fan who was pulled onstage and then blew everyone’s minds by shredding on Dave Grohl’s guitar – all while wearing full Gene Simmons “The Demon” makeup. Just last year, the band released the mobile game KISS Rock City via Sproing Publishing, a rhythm game that’s already been downloaded more than 100,000 times. On the web, the browser game KISS – Shout It Out Loud by Foxy Bingo is a digital slot title that features their classic hits. Although the game’s title is a direct reference to the 1976 hit on the Destroyer album, it also pays homage to well-loved tracks like “Rock and Roll All Nite” and “Detroit Rock City.” The variety and continuing popularity of KISS-themed media is proof that the band has nothing to gain from permanently closing its doors. Seeing as they continue to have a high number of actively devoted fans, it doesn’t seem likely that an actual, final farewell tour is in the works for KISS. Then again, they have surprised us in the past. In any case, that 2019 tour is already in our itinerary.
