Tommy Thayer has just confirmed that the end of KISS was a group decision rather than a single-person decision.
According to The Sun, Thayer said that the band agreed to go ahead with the plans knowing that they were getting too old to keep touring non-stop. Apparently, it was a decision that concerned all members:
“We’ve just basically ended the touring. Gene, Paul Stanley, myself and Eric Singer have decided that because of the physicality of what Kiss does, it’s a little bit different.”
He then explained in detail why KISS came to an end:
“It’s a heightened kind of a performance thing, and physically it’s even way beyond what the normal groups are doing. That’s why we’ve decided to kind of bow out when things are still really strong with the band and the band is still really hot.”
KISS vs. ABBA
While KISS will be drawing inspiration from ABBA with their hologram shows and avatars, the guitarist clarified that they wouldn’t be blocking ABBA’s way with their shows set to tour in the upcoming years.
He explained:
“We don’t want to affect what ABBA does. Abba’s probably looking at other cities and other places, they might take that show too because it’s been so popular in London. But a group like Abba could work anywhere.”
Also, an insider verified to The Sun that the location for the Pophouse and KISS avatar show will be revealed in due time.
KISS’ Avatar Plans Caught Thayer By Surprise
Earlier this year, Thayer spoke to Guitar World about the first impressions of KISS avatars and highlighted a process of perfecting their imagery. When asked if the band members being turned into avatars caught him off guard or was a surprise, the guitarist admitted that it did:
“It’s been interesting doing the avatars so far; it’ll take some time to get the imagery where we want it to be. I haven’t really thought about what it all means in the big picture, but with technology evolving as quickly as it is, there’s no doubt that this is the direction a lot of entertainment is going.”