The Vinnie Vincent Forum - Where Freedom Rocks!

I was idling around on YouTube this afternoon watching live videos. The '83 Rio Live performance came on.

[youtube][/youtube]

And it struck me. Here was a guy, 30 years old, who had achieved only moderate success as a musician up to that point, and he steps into the shoes of Ace Frehley as a member of one of the biggest bands in the world. On top of that, one the first gigs he has to play is in front of 200,000 people. And by god does he make it look effortless? The solo on Doctor Love is just amazing, and he noodles it out like he's playing in his bedroom.

I just wonder what was going through his mind when he stepped up onto that stage and looked out, because watching him in the vid (granted he's caked in make-up) he look totally unperturbed by the whole thing. Sure, guys join bands, and go out and play in arenas and stuff, but this was something else.

Not sure the point I'm trying to make other than I've never really stopped and thought about the enormity of what Vinnie did here - I know who I was at 30, and by Christ it must've taken a huge pair of balls to not just grab the baton in Kiss, but then be dropped into the Rio situation and pull it off so effortlessly as he did in front of these massive, massive crowds in '83.

Props to you Vinnie - if we look beyond the nonsense and negativity that surrounds your tenure in Kiss, you f'in nailed it man.

You are totally right on the $$ with your observation and statement....Vinnie was truly gifted and "We" his Loyal Fan's have and still wait for the day of his return ! We don't care about his Hair, Look's, or the Past....we just want to hear some more Masterpiece's and hear him play that 6 string with such amazing ease....the wait continues !

Total Truth !
That performance, his attitude and overall attack was out of this world !

Very well said...couldn't have said it any better!

The basics is is he is such an amazing player that it was so easy for him. He wanted it and he knew he could do it.

He did have the whole Creatures tour of the US and Canada prior to this, so he wasn't just thrown to the wolves of a crowd that big, but it still would have been daunting.

Don't discount the makeup for hiding what's underneath, as you alluded to. In 2000 my band quickly added a guitarist who had never played live before, and lucky for him we did those first two shows in make-up (we were a KISS covers band). He was brave enough to sing and play Shandi by himself, like Paul Stanley does often at Australian KISS gigs) but he told me afterwards he was scared stiff and purple underneath the makeup, and he was glad it was there, ha ha.

He's still with me and is now an old hand, but I did get him up onto the stage and in front of people, which he really likes now.

We would both baulk at playing Rio sized shows, but would definitely give it a go!!

There is nothing basic about being phenomenal. Most of us mortals are just average and lie in the median. That's just life. VINNIE put the boyz back on the rock n roll map. Shandi and like are pathetic songs and VINNIE with Eric were the adrenaline they desperately needed.

TRUE!

I loved Shandi when it came out!

Actually, Unmasked could have been a way heavier album with different production. Features the first double bass drums on a KISS song for a start!

Now you're all going to have to listen and find out which one!

VINNIE rules...

Ace was a sloppy clown jokester player...
Mark St. John was just a nightmare...
Bruce Kulick was just eh..boring...
Tommy Thayer...bless his heart, he does a wonderful job for the boyz.