Rock icons Kiss announce final ever Aussie tour

ROCK icons Kiss will tour Australia for the final time as part of a world farewell tour, promising to go out the same way they came in “unapologetic and unstoppable”.

ROCK icons Kiss will tour Australia for the final time next year.

Kiss’ End of the Road world tour will see them play down under in November 2019.

They will play RAC Arena in Perth on November 16, Coopers Stadium Adelaide on November 19, Rod Laver Arena November 21 and 22, the Supercars Newcastle 500 after race concert on November 23, Qudos Bank Arena Sydney on November 26 and Brisbane Entertainment Centre on November 28.

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Tickets go on sale 10am Monday November 12 from Ticketek, with Kiss Army fan club presales starting at 2pm today. A Telstra Thanks pre-sale starts from 2pm Friday November 2.

It will actually be Kiss’ second farewell tour — their original line-up reformed for a world tour which visited Australia in 2001, by which time drummer Peter Criss had left but guitarist Ace Frehley remained.

Tommy Thayer, Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley and Eric Singer are Kiss. Picture: Supplied

Kiss continued to tour due to public demand after the first farewell tour — The End of the Road tour features the Kiss line-up for the last 15 years — Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer.

Paul Stanley, 66, said Kiss have made the decision to go out on top — he has had two hip replacement surgeries from stage-related injuries.

“We’re not getting any younger,” Stanley told News Corp.

“If we were playing some rock and roll songs wearing blue jeans and T-shirts we could do this into our 90s. But we’re wearing 50 pounds (22 kilograms) of gear, running around on stage.

“Forget about a typical rock band, we’re so much more than a rock band. We’ve been thinking about this for a while. We want to do it while we feel great as opposed to letting things deteriorate. The band’s in great shape. This is the greatest show we’ve ever put together. It’s a completely different stage, a completely new technology and we want to go out and celebrate with every country and every city that we’ve been to.”

This tour will be the final chance to not only see the band live, but the last time fans can pay to get a professional photograph with the rock stars in their full make-up and costume.

Kiss were one of the first bands to monetise meet and greets (now an industry staple) and pioneered the possibility of merchandising as well as their trademark explosive pyrotechnics and special effects in live shows.

Gene Simmons and Ace Frehley with Ray Martin on an Australian tour in 1980. Picture: Supplied

For the Australian tour tickets will be priced between $99.90 and $326, with meet and greet packages, including a personal photo with the band in full make-up, priced at $1500 or $1250.

Meet and greet tickets will not be available for the Supercars Newcastle 500 show — tickets for that performance will go on sale November 26 from supercars.com.

Paul Stanley on stage in Perth in 2001.

The End of the Road world tour will start in Canada on January 31 before winding up in mid April in North America, ahead of European and UK dates between May and July. The band are expected to spend up to two years on the road.

The band said in a statement: “All that we have built and all that we have conquered over the past four decades could never have happened without the millions of people worldwide who’ve filled clubs, arenas and stadiums over those years. This will be the ultimate celebration for those who’ve seen us and a last chance for those who haven’t. KISS Army, we’re saying goodbye on our final tour with our biggest show yet and we’ll go out the same way we came in … Unapologetic and Unstoppable.”

Kiss ticket prices (except for Newcastle) will be $326 for front standing GA, $199 for lower reserved seats/back standing GA and $149.90/$99.90 for upper reserved seats.

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