Gene Simmons: why did KISS pause Brazil concert during End of The Road World Tour - was he dehydrated?

During a KISS concert in Brazil, Gene Simmons fell ill whilst on stage, causing the gig to be briefly paused.

KISS, who are currently on the road as part of their End of The Road World Tour, were playing in the city of Manaus, located in the Brazilian state of Amazonas. The 73-year-old rock star became visibly unwell onstage, causing the performance to be paused, before resuming the show sitting on a chair.

The iconic rock band are currently in the middle of their End of The Road World Tour which they claim will be their last tour ever. It kicked off in Vancouver, Canada in 2019, but performances were postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The UK leg of their tour will take place in June and July, with six planned performances. They will play their final ever show at New York’s Madison Square Gardens on 2 December 2023.

So, what happened to Gene Simmons, why did they pause the KISS concert and what has the rock star said? Here’s everything you need to know,

What happened to Gene Simmons?

KISS were performing in Manaus, Brazil on April 12 as part of their End of The Road World Tour, when Simmons became ill onstage, causing the show to be briefly paused.

According to People, Paul Stanley, singer and guitarist told the audience: “Hold on, hold on”, adding: “We’re gonna have to stop to take care of him.”

Stanley said: “We know how much you love Gene, and he’s obviously sick. We’re gonna have to stop to take care of him, because we love him, right? Let’s give Gene a really loud, ‘Gene!’ One, two, three — Gene!”.

According to footage shared by A Critica on Twitter, the performance was paused for five minutes before Simmons returned onstage where he performed the song “Say Yeah”, from a chair.

What has he said about the incident?

Simmons took to Twitter the day after the concert to address any concern fans may have about his health. He blamed the incident on the “humidity and temperature”, explaining that he was “dehydrated”.

His Tweet read: “Ok, kids. Not a big deal. Thanks for your kind wishes. Last night we played Amazon jungle Stadium/Brazil. Humidity and temperature were sky high. I was dehydrated and was forced to sit for a song. We got back on stage in 5 minutes & finished the show.”

Can I still get tickets to the KISS End of The Road World Tour?

KISS are currently in the middle of their End of The Road World Tour which the band claim will be their last tour ever. It initially kicked off on January 31, 2019, at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic, concerts were cancelled and postponed.

Their tour will now end with their final performance at New York’s Madison Square Gardens on 2 December 2023.

KISS will be playing six venues in the UK in June and July with the first show kicking off in Plymouth at Argle Stadium on 3 June. Tickets are still available for their UK shows at Ticketmaster, with limited availability.