Kiss singer-guitarist Paul Stanley couldn't say it's definitely the "End of the Road" for Kiss as their current world tour suggests, and remained coy about a rumored "final show" in New York City, where the band got its start 50 years ago.
"The fact that we still not only survived but thrived is special enough. There's nothing special to do," Stanley said when asked by Yahoo! Entertainment music editor Lyndsey Parker if Kiss had anything special planned for their anniversary.
"I'm thrilled that we're still here. I'm thrilled that the fans are still here. The fans seem thrilled that we're still here. We're coming to the end of this [farewell tour], so to speak. We pretty much know when we're ending and where we're ending. And that's it."
Well, not totally it. Asked if these were truly the last Kiss shows, Stanley couldn't answer for sure. "I really can't say. But it is the last of any kind of regular shows or touring," he said.
"It's just time. And in the same way, it's time consuming. And physically, it's grueling to do what we do. Hell, if I could go out on stage in my jeans and a t-shirt, give us another 10, 15 years easily. But what we do is a whole different sport. I mean, we're athletes; we're running around on stage with 30, 40, pounds of gear, and it's not possible to do it that much longer. So we're not like other bands.
"So, will we do more shows or one-offs? I really have no idea," Stanley surmised. "But this is a real clear mindset that the touring days and doing those kind of shows, that's over."
What I think this ultimately points to is: more Kiss Kruises, more merchandising opportunities, more television series, and plenty more, well…. Kiss, for better or worse, for many, many years to come. Besides, this is all a stage-set for the Vegas residency, anyway, right?
Kiss recently announced their final UK tour dates for this summer. You can see all confirmed dates below.
6/3 – Plymouth Argyle Home Park
6/5 – Birmingham Resorts World Arena
6/6 – Newcastle Utilita Arena
7/5 – London The O2
7/7 – Manchester AO Arena
7/8 – Glasgow OVO Hydro
