The End of the Road World Tour is the ongoing final

concert tour A concert tour (or simply tour) is a series of concerts by an artist or group of artists in different cities, countries or locations. Often concert tours are named to differentiate different tours by the same artist and to associate a specific to ...

by the American rock band

Kiss A kiss is the touch or pressing of one's lips against another person or an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sexual attraction, ...

. The tour began on January 31, 2019, at

Rogers Arena Rogers Arena is a multi-purpose arena located at 800 Griffiths Way in the downtown area of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Opened in 1995, the arena was known as General Motors Place (GM Place) from its opening until July 6, 2010, when Ge ...

in Vancouver, Canada and is set to conclude on December 2, 2023 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, United States.

Background

The tour was announced on September 19, 2018, following a performance of "Detroit Rock City" on ''

America's Got Talent ''America's Got Talent'' (often abbreviated as ''AGT'') is a televised American talent show competition, and is part of the global ''Got Talent'' franchise created by Simon Cowell. The program is produced by Fremantle (as well as distribut ...

''. Tour dates were officially announced for North America, Europe and Oceania on October 30, 2018. Professional painter David Garibaldi served as Kiss's

opening act A opening act, also known as a warm-up act, support act, or supporting act, is an entertainment act (musical, comedic, or otherwise), that performs at a concert before the featured act, or "headliner". Rarely, an opening act may perform again a ...

for the 2019 North American and European legs of the tour.

David Lee Roth David Lee Roth (born October 10, 1954) is an American rock singer. Best known for his wild, energetic stage persona, he was the original lead vocalist of the hard rock band Van Halen across three stints, from 1974 to 1985, in 1996 and again fro ...

was later announced as the opening act for the 2020 North American leg. Due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

, most of the shows that were to take place in 2020 were postponed into 2021. The band later announced on November 20, 2020 that they would perform an exclusive New Year's Eve 2020 livestream show. The Kiss New Year's Eve 2020 Goodbye livestream concert was produced by City Drive Studios and directed by Daniel Catullo. The pay-per-view concert was part of the ''Landmarks Live'' Series and was filmed with over fifty 4K cameras with 360-degree views on a 250-foot stage at The Royal Beach at

Atlantis The Palm, Dubai Atlantis The Palm, Dubai is a luxury hotel resort located at the apex of the Palm Jumeirah in the United Arab Emirates. It was the first resort to be built on the island and is themed on the myth of Atlantis but includes distinct Arabian eleme ...

. The performance broke two Guinness World Records: one for the highest flame projection in a music concert and another for the most flame projections launched simultaneously in a music concert. On June 11, 2021, following the premiere of the band's documentary ''Biography: Kisstory'' at the

Tribeca Film Festival The Tribeca Festival is an annual film festival organized by TriBeCa Productions, Tribeca Productions. It takes place each spring in New York City, showcasing a diverse selection of film, episodic, talks, music, games, art, and immersive progra ...

, the band performed a five-song set at Battery Park in New York City. In an October 2021 interview, Stanley stated that Kiss' final concert together was estimated to take place in early 2023: "I believe strongly by the beginning of 2023 we will be finished, it seems only natural for the final show to be in New York. That is where the band started, and that was really the background for the band getting together and writing these songs and played loft parties and played clubs starting with an audience of probably 10 people. It seems we should go full circle." The band performed on board the 2022 edition of the Kiss Kruise in October to November 2022, which was their final time they would perform on the cruise. In addition to adding another 100 cities on tour into 2023, Simmons stated that he will continue working with the American rock-inspired restaurant Rock & Brews, and performing with his solo band when the final tour has concluded. He later stated that the band will be retiring out of self-respect and love for the fans and that he will be very emotional during the band's final performance which he presumed would take place around 2024, although the band's manager Doc McGhee insisted the band's final show would "definitely" take place in 2023. The band later confirmed the final leg with the final show taking place in New York City on the ''Howard Stern Show'' on March 1, 2023. In the tour program for the final tour, both Stanley and Simmons commented on the tour:

Reception

Vancouver Sun The ''Vancouver Sun'', also known as the ''Sun'', is a daily broadsheet newspaper based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The newspaper is currently published by the Pacific Newspaper Group, a division of Postmedia Network. Published s ...

s Stuart Derdeyn, who had attended the tour's opening night in Vancouver, Canada, gave the show a positive review, stating: "After being treated to an opening trio of tunes that included "Detroit Rock City", "Shout It Out Loud" and "Deuce" embellish with as much pyrotechnics as other bands might use for an entire show, the crowd at the opening night of the KISS 'End of the World' tour was right in the sweet spot that the New York City quartet has always been able to get them into." Chris Jordan from the ''

Asbury Park Press The ''Asbury Park Press'' is a daily newspaper in Monmouth and Ocean counties of New Jersey and has the third largest circulation in the state. It has been owned by Gannett since 1997. Its reporting staff has been awarded numerous national hon ...

'' who had attended the Madison Square Garden performance on March 27, 2019, gave the concert a positive review. He noted the large amount of energy that the band had, as well as praising the amount of explosions, fire breathing and elevated risers. The reporter closed the review, stating: "By the time the band got to 'Rock and Roll All Nite', with a burst of confetti to close the show, it was apparent. You were rocked." Nikki O'Neill from the ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...

'' who had attended the performance in Chicago, stated: "Saturday's show was delivered by a musically tight and drama-free band. Original member Paul Stanley especially seemed to have fun on stage, often letting a smile crack through his "Starchild" makeup, addressing the crowd in his unmistakable stage voice, which best can be described as a mix of Southern rock 'n' roll preacher and fired up drag queen. Although the show is super-scripted - because of the ample pyrotechnics, the band would argue - there's not a moment of dullness or dead air as KISS gave the audience a live summary of its career, with 20 songs representing the classic '70s era and the makeup-free '80s, performing only one song from the '90s and one from 2009 with the current lineup."

Backing track accusations

During the first leg of the tour, the band were initially accused by fans of

lip sync Lip sync or lip synch (pronounced , the same as the word ''sink'', short for lip synchronization) is a technical term for matching a speaking or singing person's lip movements with sung or spoken vocals. Audio for lip syncing is generated thr ...

ing and using

backing track A backing track is an audio recording on audiotape, CD or a digital recording medium or a MIDI recording of synthesized instruments, sometimes of purely rhythmic accompaniment, often of a rhythm section or other accompaniment parts that live music ...

s during their performances. In response to the accusations, Stanley did not confirm nor deny that he lip syncs on stage, saying he is taking care of his voice. Accusations were revived following the band's Belgium performance when a slip-up with the fireworks and drum cues occurred at the end of the opening song, "Detroit Rock City". McGhee later confirmed that Stanley did sing fully. He denied that Stanley was lip syncing, but stated that he will sing to tracks.

Opening acts

* David Garibaldi (North America 2019, Europe 2019, North America 2021) * The New Roses (May 27 in Leipzig, 29 in Vienna and 31 in Munich, Europe 2019, June 1 in Dortmund and June 24 in Frankfurt, Europe 2022) *

(North America 2020) *Frank's White Canvas (April 19 in Santiago, Latin America 2022) *Catoni (April 20 in Santiago, Latin America 2022) *Arde La Sangre (April 23 in Buenos Aires, Latin America 2022) *

The Last Internationale The Last Internationale (TLI) is an American rock band formed by New York City guitarist Edgey Pires and vocalist Delila Paz. The group is known for its socially-conscious lyrics and strong live performances. Ben Hugues at Uber Rock says that "Li ...

(June 7, July 21, Europe 2022) *Shiraz Lane (June 20 in Helsinki, Europe 2022) * Mammoth WVH (July 5 in Nîmes, Europe 2022) *

Wolfmother Wolfmother is an Australian hard rock band from Sydney. Formed in 2004, the group is centred around vocalist and guitarist Andrew Stockdale, who is the only constant member of the line-up. The band has been through many personnel changes since ...

(Australia 2022) *

Tumbleweed A tumbleweed is a structural part of the above-ground anatomy of a number of species of plants. It is a diaspore that, once mature and dry, detaches from its root or stem and rolls due to the force of the wind. In most such species, the tumble ...

(Australia 2022) *Mulga Bore Hard Rock (Australia 2022) *

Skindred Skindred are a Welsh reggae metal band formed in Newport in 1998. Their musical style mixes heavy metal, alternative rock and ragga. The band also integrate elements of punk rock, hardcore punk, reggae, dancehall, jungle, ska, hip hop, drum ...

(United Kingdom 2023) *The Wild Things (United Kingdom 2023) *

Skid Row A skid row or skid road is an impoverished area, typically urban, in English-speaking North America whose inhabitants are mostly poor people " on the skids". This specifically refers to poor or homeless, considered disreputable, downtrodden or fo ...

(Europe 2023) * The Darkness (July 15 in Tønsberg, Europe 2023) *

Eagles of Death Metal Eagles of Death Metal is an American rock band from Palm Desert, California, formed in 1998. Founded by Jesse Hughes (vocals, guitar) and Josh Homme (drums), the band also includes a wide range of other musicians who perform both on the band's ...

(July 15 in Tønsberg, Europe 2023) *Fangst (July 15 in Tønsberg, Europe 2023) *

Weezer Weezer is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1992. Since 2001, the band has consisted of Rivers Cuomo (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Patrick Wilson (drums, backing vocals), Scott Shriner (bass guitar, keyboards, backing v ...

(Australia 2023)

Setlists

Tour dates

* At this show, the band performed for 45 minutes until a storm resulted in them stopping the rest of the show. * For this show, the band and the audience sang " Happy Birthday" to Gene Simmons, as he turned 70 the following day. * The band and the audience sang "Happy Birthday" to the band's manager

Doc McGhee Doc McGhee is an American music manager, best known for working with hard rock bands Kiss, Bon Jovi and Mötley Crüe. The latter two groups experienced their rise to stardom under his management. He has also worked with Hootie & the Blowfish. H ...

who turned 69. *

Yoshiki Yoshiki is a masculine Japanese given name. Possible writings Yoshiki can be written using many different combinations of kanji characters. Here are some examples: *義樹, "justice, tree" *義基, "justice, foundation" *義機, "justice, opportu ...

made an appearance to perform "Beth" and "Rock and Roll All Nite" with the band. * Yoshiki joined the band again for this show. * There was no opening act for this show, as David Lee Roth's Las Vegas residency legally prevented him from performing elsewhere in Nevada. * The band dedicated "Do You Love Me" to

Kobe Bryant Kobe Bean Bryant ( ; August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely r ...

and the victims of the 2020 Calabasas helicopter crash at this show. * Simmons celebrated his birthday at this show with the band and audience singing "Happy Birthday", as he had turned 72. * At this show, Simmons' platform malfunctioned during the opening song, tilting to one side. Simmons was able to maintain his balance until his platform was carefully lowered while the band performed an extended introduction. * On the first of two performances in Sydney, Simmons celebrated his birthday with the band and audience singing "Happy Birthday" while being given a cake by the band's manager McGhee, as he turned 73 the day before. * Kiss' final Japan performance. * Kiss' final Mexico performance. * Simmons performed part of the set in a chair, following the performance being paused when he felt unwell due to the high temperatures. * Kiss' final South American performance.

Postponed and cancelled dates

Extra concerts

Personnel

Kiss

Paul Stanley Paul Stanley (born Stanley Bert Eisen; January 20, 1952) is an American musician who is the co-founder, frontman, rhythm guitarist and co-lead vocalist of the hard rock band Kiss. He is the writer or co-writer of many of the band's most popular ...

– vocals, rhythm guitar *

Gene Simmons Gene Simmons (born Chaim Witz; he, חיים ויץ, ; born August 25, 1949) is an Israeli-American musician. Also known by his stage persona The Demon, he is the bassist and co-lead singer of Kiss, the hard rock band he co-founded with Paul ...

– vocals, bass *

Eric Singer Eric Singer (born Eric Doyle Mensinger; May 12, 1958) is an American drummer. Associated with the hard rock band Kiss since 1991, he has also performed with artists such as Black Sabbath, Alice Cooper, Lita Ford, Badlands, Brian May and Gary M ...

– drums, piano, vocals *

Tommy Thayer Thomas Cunningham Thayer (born November 7, 1960) is an American musician and songwriter. He is the lead guitarist and vocalist for the American hard rock band Kiss. He was also lead guitarist for the band Black 'n Blue. Early life Thomas Cun ...

– lead guitar, vocals

Guest appearances

– piano on "Beth", drums on "Rock and Roll All Nite" (December 11 and 17, 2019)

References

Notes References

External links

Kiss Online
{{Kiss 2019 concert tours 2020 concert tours 2021 concert tours 2022 concert tours 2023 concert tours Kiss (band) concert tours Farewell concert tours Concert tours postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic Concert tours of North America Concert tours of Europe Concert tours of Asia Concert tours of South America Concert tours of Brazil Concert tours of Oceania Concert tours of Canada Concert tours of the United States Concert tours of Mexico Concert tours of Germany Concert tours of Austria Concert tours of Sweden Concert tours of Finland Concert tours of Russia Concert tours of France Concert tours of Belgium Concert tours of the Netherlands Concert tours of Norway Concert tours of Italy Concert tours of Switzerland Concert tours of the United Kingdom Concert tours of Japan Concert tours of the United Arab Emirates