Will KISS play a residency at Las Vegas Sphere? Paul Stanley responds
Paul Stanley has responded to rumours that KISS may be the next band to have a residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas.
The impressive new music venue – which cost over $2billion, features a 16k wraparound LED screen and 167,000 speakers – opened its doors last month just east of the Las Vegas strip, and has since played host to U2, who are holding a residency there.
However, with the Irish rock band’s series of shows at the location now drawing to an end, there has been a huge amount of speculation about who will be the next artist to bring their live show to the new Nevada stage. However, according to Paul Stanley, it seems like KISS won’t be the next in line.
The frontman opened up about the possibility of bringing their show to the Sphere in a new interview with Ultimate Classic Rock, stating that he doesn’t see the residency taking place any time soon.
“I can’t speak to it in any other way except to be honest with you about how I feel now, and the way I feel today is … I can’t really see that happening,” he told the outlet.
“As far as I’m concerned, we’re done.”
The comments come in light of the New York rock veterans currently playing the last leg of their ongoing tour. The tour is the latest of their impressive number of farewell tours over the years – with the first dating back 23 years – and is set to end with a final ever performance in Madison Square Garden, New York, in December.
Although Stanley seems reluctant about the idea of hosting shows at the Sphere, earlier this year bassist and founding member Gene Simmons said he was more open to the possibility of playing a Las Vegas residency.
When asked by The Las Vegas Review-Journal if the band would ever play a show again in Las Vegas – following their 2021-2022 residency at Zappos Theater being called off – the bassist said (via Blabbermouth): “I actually don’t know because we have been so inundated by people wanting to see us wherever we go.”
“I mean, every guy whoever washed my dog or did my dry cleaning is hitting me up for tickets for his entire family, three generations back.” He continued: “Vegas? I don’t know, it would be nice to do a Vegas residency. But I don’t know any of these things.”
Aside from KISS, another artist speculated to be taking over the Las Vegas Sphere residency is American rock group Eagles, who were reportedly in talks to host their upcoming farewell tour at the new venue (as per New York Post). This seems to still be in talks, however, as earlier this month it was confirmed that U2 would be extending their residency while organisers continue to look for the next headliners.
In other KISS news, back in May, the band made headlines after they were forced to cancel the opening show of their 2023 UK headline tour, citing “travel, equipment and logistical complications” as the reasons for the cancellation.
More recently, it was revealed that the glam icons are being sued by the widow of their long-term guitar technician Francis ‘Fran’ Stueber, who passed away after contracting COVID while the band were on tour in 2021.
The post Will KISS play a residency at Las Vegas Sphere? Paul Stanley responds appeared first on NME.
Liberty Dunworth
NME
