GENE SIMMONS On What Fans Can Expect From Upcoming 'Kiss: End Of The Road' Documentary

In a new interview with NewsNation's "The Hill With Blake Burman", KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons spoke about the band's upcoming documentary, "Kiss: End Of The Road". The film, a co-production of Pophouse and Mercury Studios, was directed by DJ Viola ("Terror In The Woods") and produced by Leslie Greif of Big Dreams Entertainment and Elemeno Productions. It is set to debut on November 19 first on the band's web site, powered by streaming technology partner Kiswe, followed by other platforms.

Asked what fans can expect to see in "Kiss: End Of The Road", Gene said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, KISS is a very peculiar band. We were four knuckleheads off the streets of New York with no resume, it bears noting, no plan, no experience, nothing. We had a very strange idea: 'Let's put together the band we never saw on stage.' 'Cause all of us get sick and tired of seeing performers on stage who think — you feel like they're doing you a favor. They look at their shoes. And in our day, when people were still rubbing sticks together to get a fire going, performers used to wear tie-dyed t-shirts and charge full concert prices for strumming an acoustic guitar. And even though we liked all those bands, we wanted to just have bombast, and people said, 'This band makes a complete spectacle out of themselves.' You're damn right we do. Every show, give people bang for the buck. And along the way, when people still bought albums and so on, KISS became America's number one gold record award-winning group of all time. That includes duos."

He added: "It's a very strange thing, because KISS never started off playing the singles game. So we had a few singles that hit it, but it was always about the live shows."

Regarding why KISS wanted to document the band's final tour, Gene said: "Well, the fans are rabid, number one, and number two, there's a wonderful company called Pophouse that bought KISS.

"A farmer who grows fruit, the smart ones always know when to pick the fruit. When it's ripe, because if it's too early, the fruit is sour; you don't get a good price. When it's too late, it becomes rotten; you can't sell it anyway," he explained. "So you've got to know when to gracefully and proudly step off that stage, because you have to understand that KISS was and continues to be the only band of its type. Every show I had to spit fire, usually in the front, sometimes from the back, depends on the Italian food and fly through the air, keep my tongue out all the time. I would do that, except the floor's a little dirty. Wear 70 pounds — as much as that or as little as 50 to 60 pounds — of armor, studs, guitars, and all on seven-inch platformed boots for two hours. It's exhausting. So I'm 77 now, and boy, do I look good. But you've got to know, you've got to respect the fans enough to know when to get off that stage. So Pophouse bought the makeup and the publishing, and we're proud to have them as our partners. We continue to participate And there are a lot of activities. There's a KISS avatar show coming, and this documentary which goes all the way back to the beginning of time. No, it doesn't go back to time. In the beginning of KISS time. Yeah, that's right."

The film will premiere during a special livestream on the KISS web site next month, with fans able to sign up now to access the stream for $14.99. Attendees at the upcoming "KISS Kruise: Land-Locked In Vegas" will get the first chance to watch the documentary during the November 13-15 event at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.

KISS played its two final shows ever in December 2023 at New York City's Madison Square Garden. The last show, held on December 2, 2023, streamed live on pay-per-view.

KISS launched its farewell trek in January 2019 but was forced to put it on hold in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"End Of The Road" was originally scheduled to conclude on July 17, 2021 in New York City. The trek was announced in September 2018 following a KISS performance of the band's classic song "Detroit Rock City" on "America's Got Talent".

In early 2024, KISS sold its entire music catalog, likeness and brand name to Swedish company Pophouse Entertainment. A biopic, an avatar show, and a KISS-themed experience are in the works, with Simmons and Stanley playing key roles in the development of all these projects, working closely with Pophouse.

KISS's "End Of The Road" lineup consisted of original members Stanley and Simmons, alongside later band additions, guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer (on and off since 1991).

Formed in 1973 by Stanley, Simmons, guitarist Ace Frehley and drummer Peter Criss, KISS staged its first "farewell" tour in 2000, the last to feature the group's original lineup.

Stanley and Simmons were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame with the rest of KISS's original lineup in 2014.

In December 2025 KISS received the Kennedy Center Honors.

Frehley died in October 2025 after a fall at his New Jersey home. He was 74 years old.