The KISS concert in Costa Rica on April 28 at the National Stadium in La Sabana will not include a simple concert but will be an encounter with history, due to the impact and prestige of the band in the field of music after some 47 years of being together.
For the first time, KISS will play in Costa Rica, with their world farewell tour, “End of the Road”.
Gene Simmons, co-founder and bassist of the group, spoke via telephone about the details of the concert, described as the most impressive of his entire career.
“It’s the first time we will be in Costa Rica, I’m eager to arrive, learn about its history, culture, food, I’m very excited, I can’t wait,” he said.
For the show, some twenty containers will be brought in and some sixty people are part of the team that travels with the band.
“When they watch the show they will realize that we don’t start on stage, we will descend from the sky, there will be fire and flames, that will be the beginning of the first song,” Simmons said.
During the concert, which will be about two and a half hours, 25 songs will be presented
“We will take have show seen in North America. We will take everything, pyrotechnics, technology, things that will fly through the air. I am sure it will be the best show they will see in Costa Rica.
“We try to select the greatest songs of almost five decades, we have songs from almost all those ages,” said Simmons.
He also revealed that in each country they make small adjustments, so they do not always interpret the same themes; However, few changes.
Before KISS, Simmons used to teach sixth grade in Spanish Harlem, in New York. He taught Puerto Rican children and we talked about Latin America. “That is why I love history and have learned a lot about Costa Rica, how proud they are of their heritage, of their wonderful food, of their wonderful women, of the geography that is beautiful. I can’t wait to get to know it,” said Simmons.
When asked about the feeling of this last tour, he acknowledged that it was time to stop.
“After 47 years it’s a good time to stop, I don’t want to play for much longer, nor do I want to be on stage when very old, so we’re stopping at the right time,” he said.
The best of being part of Kiss? “The fans, thanks to them we have the most wonderful life and without them we would not be anything, our story has lasted a long time and very few things last so long, but the story is not over, the tours will end, but you can still go to Las Vegas to play in the Kiss golf mini-field or travel in the Kiss Kruise, there are many things we will be doing,” he added.
Costa Rica has been a vacation hotspot for celebrities over the years, but not for Simmons. Will he be vacationing in Costa Rica any time soon? “I have never had vacations in my life,” said the 70-year-old rock star.
According to Simmons, rock is dead. “Rap is alive, pop is alive, many other forms of music are alive. Rock is dead because fans don’t pay for it, because they download or share songs for free and so new bands can’t sell or subsist…There are no new bands that have the opportunity to grow and play on big stages and the reason is that fans don’t pay for new music. Of course, the Rolling Stones, U2, AC/DC and us can play on big stages, that’s fine, but there’s no chance for new bands and that’s really sad”.
Tickers to the KISS concert can be purchased at www.eticket.cr and at authorized Servimás outlets. Prices at ¢29,300 to ¢99,400.
