Kiss tease virtual concert tour – for 2027
Kiss have teased their “new era” as a virtual band will begin in three years’ time following their recent retirement from touring.
The American rock legends unveiled their 8ft “superhero” avatars – created by the team behind ABBA Voyage – during the encore of their retirement show at New York’s Madison Square Garden (MSG) last month, which was livestreamed worldwide on pay-per-view.
The digital avatars were designed by George Lucas’ San Francisco-based Industrial Light & Magic and financed by Pophouse Entertainment, which was co-founded by ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus.
Now, the group have shared a short promotional video entitled: “50 years is a long time, and what the future holds is in the making,” which states that “a show is coming” in 2027. The video includes quotes from Kiss’ Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, as well as fans of the band.
“We can live on eternally”
“The future is so exciting,” says Simmons in the below clip, with Stanley adding: “We can live on eternally.”
Kiss concluded their near five-year, 250-show End of the Road Tour at MSG on 2 December 2023. The group will also live on through other ventures including a Las Vegas museum, cruises, and a forthcoming movie and cartoon.
“Everybody should really look forward to what is going to come,” the group’s longtime manager Doc McGhee told IQ last year. “With the technology that we have, I think you’re going to see this manifest into something completely crazy – a mind-blowing experience.”
The virtual show will follow in the footsteps of the smash-hit ABBA Voyage virtual concert residency, which has created a new model for legendary artists since debuting to widespread acclaim in 2022, reportedly grossing more than $2 million (€1.6m) a week.
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Saweetie set for virtual Super Bowl gig on Roblox
Hip-hop artist Saweetie is to star in a free virtual concert as part of the NFL’s Super Bowl LVII event lineup.
The Saweetie Super Bowl Concert Presented by Intuit on Roblox will take place in Warner Music Group’s Rhythm City, a music-themed social roleplay experience on the online game platform.
The American rapper will perform a family-friendly, fully motion-captured concert to celebrate the 2023 Super Bowl and promote a message of female empowerment. The show, which premieres on Friday 10 February at 7pm ET and will re-air every hour on the hour until 12 February, will also be paired with a collection of digital items that will be sold on the Roblox marketplace.
“I’m really excited to bring this iconic moment to the metaverse and share my music with a whole new audience in such a unique way,” says Saweetie. “As an artist, innovator, and football fan, to be able to perform during Super Bowl LVII weekend in this new world – Rhythm City on Roblox – is something I never imagined that I would be involved in. I am very grateful and happy about this opportunity.”
“The Saweetie Super Bowl Concert Presented by Intuit will be an anchor entertainment event bringing fans together in the metaverse”
The Philadelphia Eagles will face off against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII in State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona on Sunday 12 February. Rihanna is scheduled to headline the coveted Halftime Show.
“The Saweetie Super Bowl Concert Presented by Intuit will be an anchor entertainment event bringing fans together in the metaverse and further cementing the tradition of content innovation at the Super Bowl,” says Ed Kiang, VP of video gaming at the NFL. “Working with Roblox has enabled us to create interactive shared experiences.”
The Saweetie Super Bowl Concert and Rhythm City are experiences developed in partnership with gaming and content company Gamefam.
“Bringing a cultural moment like the Super Bowl to the metaverse with such innovative partners marks a shift in how brands are coming together to create the next generation of metaverse gaming experiences,” adds Gamefam chief business officer Ricardo Briceno.
As previously announced, Paramore, Dave Matthews Band and Imagine Dragons will top the bill at the fourth Bud Light Super Bowl Music Fest at Phoenix’s 18,000-cap Footprint Center from 9-11 February 2023.
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Roblox secures David Guetta for first concert of 2022
Roblox is kicking off 2022 with the first DJ set performed by an avatar of international star David Guetta.
Created in partnership with Roblox developer Wonder Works Studio and Warner Music Group (WMG), the DJ set will premiere on 4 February at 16:00 PT and continue throughout the weekend.
Guetta will perform as his avatar self in an intergalactic themed set, where attendees can navigate the show through an “asteroid-traversing obstacle course”.
According to Roblox, the virtual universe will be decked out with crystals, neon lights, lasers, holograms, and thumping speakers.
Fans will be able to interact through DJ and dance battles, a secret puzzle used to unlock special abilities and archives, virtual merchandise for purchase and as prizes, Q&As with Guetta, and a 45-minute set for the Roblox community.
“We’ve built something that will play host to one of the most unique shows I’ve ever done”
Roblox VP and global head of music Jon Vlassopulos, says: “We’re thrilled to work with our friends at Warner to host another major virtual concert with one of the biggest stars to ever perform on Roblox.
“David has been engaging and inspiring music fans all over the world for over 20 years with his unique DJ performances, and now he can play, as his avatar, to millions of fans in one weekend in this fun, interactive, intergalactic DJ Party world on Roblox. It’s going to expose a new generation of fans to dance music and take clubbing to a whole new level!”
Guetta added: “Working on this concert has allowed me to bring an amazing new creation to life with design and production to suit the virtual world. We’ve built something that will play host to one of the most unique shows I’ve ever done and I can’t wait for everyone to experience it with me.”
WMG have previously brought stars including Twenty One Pilots, Royal Blood, Ava Max and Why Don’t We to perform in the Roblox metaverse.
The label has been making moves elsewhere in the metaverse too, penning a deal with gaming metaverse The Sandbox to create its first music-themed world.
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WMG to create ‘music-themed world’ in Sandbox metaverse
Warner Music Group (WMG) is to create the first music-themed world in The Sandbox gaming metaverse, following a deal between the two companies.
The Sandbox, which is built around blockchain and NFT (non-fungible token) technology, has been described as “part virtual real estate, part amusement park”.
According to WMG, its virtual ‘Land’ within The Sandbox will be a “combination of musical theme park and concert venue” and will host concerts and musical experiences featuring its roster of artists.
These immersive experiences “will empower WMG artists to engage with their fans, as well as to reach the global community of The Sandbox”, in addition to generating “new revenue streams and new forms of virtual entertainment”.
The strategic partnership marks The Sandbox’s first deal with a major music company and what WMG says is its “first entry into the NFT metaverse realm”.
“WMG has secured the equivalent of beachfront property in the metaverse”
To mark the occasion, The Sandbox will hold a Land sale in March 2022, which will allow music fans to buy coveted Lands adjacent to the WMG property.
“Our partnership with The Sandbox adds a new layer of possibility in the metaverse, with the ownership of virtual real estate,” says Oana Ruxandra, chief digital officer & EVP, business development at WMG. “As a first-mover, WMG has secured the equivalent of beachfront property in the metaverse. On the Land, we’ll develop persistent, immersive social music experiences that defy real-world limitations and allow our artists and their fans to engage like never before.”
Sebastien Borget, COO and co-founder of The Sandbox, added: “We’re shaping The Sandbox as a fun entertainment destination where creators, fans, and players can enjoy first-of-a-kind immersive experiences and be more closely connected to their favourite musical artists through NFTs. This strategic partnership with WMG brings the open metaverse one step forward in the direction of fan-owned and community-driven initiatives – the possibilities are very exciting.”
WMG joins over 200 existing partnerships including The Walking Dead, Snoop Dogg, Adidas, Deadmau5, Steve Aoki, Richie Hawtin, The Smurfs, Care Bears, Atari, ZEPETO, and CryptoKitties.
The Sandbox, which is a subsidiary of Animoca Brands, raised US$93 million in a Series B funding round, last November.
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