Humanity is accustomed to using technology to freeze time. We have been doing this in a static way since 1826, when the first photographic record took place, and with movement since 1895, when the first cinematographic projection was presented to the world. And this year, society witnessed yet another technological feat that brought singer Elis Regina, who died more than 40 years ago, back to life to sing with her daughter, also singer Maria Rita, in campaign that celebrated Volkswagen’s 70th anniversary in Brazil. The iconic duet was made possible by artificial intelligence.
Given so many advances, do you also wonder what the next step in technology will be? Us, yes. And it seems that, in addition to freezing moments, technological evolution will give us the power to experience them again (and as many times as we want) in an immersive way. Fans of KISS, a hard rock band world famous for hits such as Rock And Roll All Nite e a balada romntica Forever, got a taste of the future this weekend, when the musicians performed the last show of the tour that announced their retirement from the stage.
The last night of the world tour End of The Road World Tourwhich lasted 58 months and covered five continents, was marked by a unique farewell at Madison Square Garden, in New York (USA). Close to midnight, the band members disappeared from the stage, giving way to giant holographic avatars that continued their performance. God Gave Rock ‘n’ Roll To You projected on an LED screen, with a light and pyrotechnic show. This technology allows Demon, The Starchild, Catman and Spaceman (as the band members are called) to continue performing even after the official end of their tour.
What we accomplished was incredible, but not enough. The band deserves to live because it’s bigger than ussaid singer Paul Stanley.
The holographic representations were projected 2.4 meters high, presenting the band’s striking characteristics. Created from data collected during live performances by musicians wearing motion capture suits, andThese digital forms levitated, breathed fire and shot electricity from their fingers, offering a stunning visual spectacle at the show’s conclusion. The adoption of technology has been popularly called digital immortality.
The avatars were developed by Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), a company based in San Francisco (USA). It has become known in recent years for bringing famous visual effects from the Star Wars and Jurassic World cinematic universes to live events, in the form of realistic avatars and other visual fantasies.
We want to give fans an idea of the many forms this band could take in the future.says Grady Cofer, Visual Effects supervisor at ILM.
Meanwhile, the financiers and producers are the founders of the Swedish company Pophouse Entertainment, responsible for the show ABBA Travel, in London, which was incredibly successful. The show has been watched by 1.9 million visitors since its debut in 2022, and according to reports, it earns 2 million a week.
Pophouse aims to acquire the music catalogs of old bands and revitalize interest in them in imaginative ways. In addition to ABBA Voyage, the company created an ABBA museum in Stockholm (SE) in 2013 and opened the Avicii Experience, also in Stockholm, in 2022, the same year it acquired a 75% stake in the late DJ’s music catalog.
Where these avatars will appear next and how they will be monetized is still a mystery. Pophouse has hired Thierry Coup, former creative director at Universal Destinations & Experiences, to become creative director for the KISS avatar show. Working with the band members and ILM, KISS may appear in a live performance, in the metaverses of Roblox or Fortniteor at all.
Now, fans wait to see how the digital immortalization of KISS unfolds. With avatars capable of moving across different platforms, the band promises to remain relevant in the digital age and explore new frontiers of entertainment.
* With information from the BBC and Fast Company | Cover photo: Getty Images
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