KISS Vegas Residency Is Apparently Back On for 2022
KISS's longtime manager Doc McGhee says the band will play a Vegas run after all. The first residency was scrapped a couple weeks ago.
Speaking with The Rock Experience with Mike Brunn, McGhee says it wasn't the rumored "soft ticket sales" that were initially reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal that caused the shows to be canceled. (The paper edited that part out of the article shortly after posting it.) Rather, KISS decided that too-strict COVID policies that might impact European fans getting to see the shows were the reason. Listen to Doc McGhee in the podcast link below.
"When we did it, I said we're gonna go until Nov. 1 and see if we can get the people in from Europe. We have one chance for people to come to Vegas to see us because Gene and Paul will not tour after this year… they're gonna be done. So when we couldn't get the people in, and the restrictions were there, I said, 'We don't have to do it now.'… 'Let's do it later down the road when everybody gets a chance to see a different (show) of KISS.' This isn't KISS 2.0 or any of that stuff — this will be a whole different vibe that people wanna come [and see]. And we're gonna do 12 shows. Let people be able to come and see 'em for the last time in Vegas. It was hard enough on the [recently completed KISS Cruise] — 174 people couldn't come [due to COVID travel restrictions] 174 cabins, like 300 people."
Coincidentally, about a week after KISS canceled the first Vegas residency at the Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood, the United States did drop COVID-19 restrictions for international travelers. The U.S. is now accepting fully vaccinated travelers at airports and land borders. To McGhee's point, it was probably too late for people coming a long way to a "destination show" to make lodging and flight plans at a reasonable cost.
McGhee says on the podcast, he thinks the shows will be in the later half of next year. "It's gonna be in, like, August. It'll be August or October. We're checking it out now." He didn't say if it would be booked again at the Zappos Theater or somewhere else.
KISS Manager Doc McGhee Talks About The Vegas Residency
McGhee also gave an amended date for when the "End of the Road" farewell tour would officially end. It was supposed to be July in New York City but McGhee says it will now be sometime toward the end of 2022.
The pandemic has been the bane of many rock bands touring this year, and KISS are no exception. From sick band members and cancelled shows, to the death of roadies and allegations of loose COVID protocols, as well as politically-charged declarations, KISS has seen a host of issues.
The news of the potential new Vegas shows aren't the only KISS touring announcement for next year. The Welcome To Rockville festival said they'll do it again in May 2022, with Guns N' Roses, Foo Fighters, Korn and KISS headlining the four days of shows in Daytona Beach.
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