To the surprise of few, KISS will return to stage in November in Las Vegas to celebrate, in part, the 50th anniversary of their fan club, The Kiss Army.
But didn't bassist Gene Simmons say just a few years ago that their End of the Road World Tour would be their last round of performances?
“I’ll say right here, right now, my hand on the Bible," Simmons declared to Rolling Stone in 2023 in regard to their last gig at Madison Square Garden, "it will be the final Kiss-in-makeup appearance.”
So did Gene have his fingers crossed? Was it a blank Bible? Twas it Opposite Day?
Close: when The God of Thunder said the group was done with "Kiss-in-makeup appearances," that left the door open a crack for what will happen later this year at the Virgin Resort in Sin City, which will be Gene and guitarist Paul Stanley without their now-iconic makeup.
After all, who isn't yearning for the unmasked Eric Singer era of KISS?
2025 is the 25th anniversary of the kickoff of the first KISS Farewell Tour (2000–2001) where original members Peter Criss and Ace Frehley rejoined the band for a world tour that encompassed 142 gigs.
Criss, famously, left after the 10/7/2000 show in North Carolina (his 96th of tour) due to contract disputes.
Tickets for the three night Vegas experience run from $999-$4909 and can be purchased on the KISS website.
Here are a few other huge acts that broke up, had farewell tours, and/or retired and then went back on the road.
Eagles: Broke up in 1980, reunited 1994
When the ornery Eagles, one of the most successful bands in music history, split up, drummer/singer Don Henley famously said they'd get back together "when hell freezes over."
In 1994, 14 years later, after several successful (and a few mediocre) solo releases, they reunited for the Hell Freezes Over album and 174-gig tour that spanned three years.
Calling it quits agreed with the Eagles, it seems as they did it again in 2003 for the multi-year 170+ stop Farewell Tour that concluded in 2006.
Did they play in 2007? Yep.
Did they play in 2008? Not only did they play, they made a new album Long Road Out Of Eden the previous year and toured in '08, starting at the O2 Arena. They've played shows every year since, including during the global pandemic.
The Eagles are currently on what appears to be the last legs of their The Long Goodbye farewell tour which is expected to wrap this year and includes a return residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas this month and then again in September. Tickets available on their site.
Ozzy Osbourne: Retired 1992, back in 1995
Playing off his hit single "No More Tears," Ozzy cheekily dubbed his 1992 farewell the No More Tours Tour.
The Prince of Darkness was falsely diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in the early '90s, so he did the right thing and put together a final tour so he could spend his last days with his wife and children. The rock legend who notoriously abused drugs and alcohol his whole life (even snorting ants in front of Motley Crue) figured he had reached his end.
During his final show at Costa Mesa's Pacific Amphitheatre he brought out his then-young children and said, "this is why I'm going, man!"
But when it was discovered in 1995 that the diagnosis was in error, Ozzy took off his shirt and went back out on the road.
Now 76, Ozzy's health is clearly in decline. At the Rock Hall of Fame induction he sat on a throne as others sang his songs and rocked out around him.
But he will have one last time to sing those classic tunes that have dominated arenas around the world. In July he will be joined by his old band, Black Sabbath along with other giants in the metal world including Metallica, Slayer, and Anthrax, as well as guitar heroes from Billy Corgan to Tom Morello and Slash. Tickets sold out immediately.
Mötley Crüe: Ceased in 2015, regrouped in 2019
A decade ago Mötley Crüe went on a two-year 141-stop Final Tour with shows around the globe to celebrate their hugely successful 35-year career and their forthcoming retirement as a group.
To prove they were serious, they held a press in Hollywood, where seated in front of tombstones, they signed a "Cessation of Touring Agreement," aka a contract pledging they'd never use the Crüe name in any future tours.
“Everything must come to an end," drummer Tommy Lee said at the time. "We always had a vision of going out with a big fucking bang, and not playing county fairs, or clubs with one or two original band members. Our job here is done.”
Yours truly attended one of those farewell shows at Staples Center, because talk is cheap... but they signed a contract. Right?
Apparently after helping make the Netflix film, The Dirt, about their wild career, the band fell back in love with each other and chose to rip up the contract.
“Almost 6 years after signing a Cessation of Touring agreement, the contract is off the table because a whole new generation of Crüeheads are relentlessly demanding for the band to come back together," they said in a 2019 press release
The COVID plague that followed their reneging of the contract delayed their return to stadiums but they've been back in front of crowds since 2022, now with a new guitarist John 5.
Their 2025 tour took a pause as singer Vince Neil had some health issues that needed to be taken care of, but the quartet is scheduled to hit the road again next month followed by a Vegas residency later in the year. Tix available on Motley Crue's website.
