Paul Stanley recently discussed why he stopped playing guitar after KISS’s farewell during an appearance on Gibson TV’s The Collection.
When asked by host Mark Agnesi about how long it took for him to pick up a guitar again after the final show, Stanley responded, “Really good question.”
He explained that while he had played a couple of guitars, he had not played much, and couldn’t figure out why. “Then I thought, if I started playing, I was afraid that I would miss playing with the band and doing what we do,” Stanley admitted.
Reflecting on his time with KISS, he added, “That’s my DNA. I just needed to back away for a bit. It’s 50 years with KISS. That’s pretty phenomenal. To cut it off, at least in terms of being a live band, takes some acclimating to and adjusting to. So I needed a little time just to sit back and get my bearings.”
KISS performed their final show on December 2, 2023, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. In a previous interview with Rock of Nations With Dave Kinchen & Shane McEachern, Stanley spoke about feeling a bit lost after the farewell tour, saying, “There’s no way to give that up and not feel a sense of, if not lost, kind of disoriented.”
Despite the intellectual understanding that it was time for KISS to stop touring, he noted, “It doesn’t mean that emotionally, it doesn’t play a part in it. So, yeah, being home, as I am right now, is normal. What’s not normal is I’m not going back out.”
He added that while KISS continues to be involved with its future projects, including the ‘KISS avatar show,’ he has come to terms with not performing live again. “Star Child is forever — but me up there, that’s done,” he said.
At their final concert, KISS revealed their avatars, and Gene Simmons later shared on social media that the virtual band’s official debut will be in 2027.
