Vinnie Vincent Doubted Himself Too Much for Comeback Shows, Says Singer
The singer who was set to front Vinnie Vincent’s band for his comeback shows said he believed the former Kiss guitarist was too doubtful about his own abilities to go through with the performances. And he suggested that Vincent’s guest appearance on the Kiss Kruise last October could have been the trigger for the cancellations.
Jim Crean, who rehearsed with drummer Carmine Appice and bassist Tony Franklin, said even though they recorded some demos together, he never got as far as working with Vincent himself. The shows endured a series of problems, including date and personnel changes before finally being called off. Appice later said he feared Vincent had lost his last chance to step back into the spotlight.
“I can't speak on Vinnie Vincent's behalf,” Crean told The Metal Voice in a new interview. “I never met him but I have my ideas … and so does Carmine and Tony. There’s a lot of heavy shredding that went into Vinnie’s songs. … I dissected every part of these songs, even with the guitar. When Vinnie did that Kiss cruise … he didn't really play any leads or anything like that; he just kind of came out and he looked a little nervous, like he was kind of unsure.”
He recalled that Vincent's agent said to him, "I think Vinnie's gonna be a little standoffish at first but then once he sees and he hears you guys … he is gonna be so into it."’ "I think that would have happened," Crean noted. "I really think that Vinnie would have came out and it would have really been a good good career move for him … but I do think that maybe he had a little doubt.”
Crean insisted he, Appice and Franklin were well-rehearsed and ready to “be super-tight and deliver it for Vinnie.” “If Vinnie came out and he wasn't exactly like he was 30 years ago, I think the fans would have still accepted him for just coming out onstage," he said. "I truly do think that because his fans are very loyal to him and they just want to see him play.”
He said at one point the set list included “a lot of Vincent songs and a few Kiss songs,” like “Lick It Up,” “Unholy,” “A Million to One’ and “Exciter.” However, he explained that after they recorded three demo songs without the guitarist, Vincent made the decision to “go out there and shred” during the shows.
“After that, Vinnie decided that he just wanted … a shred show where he just goes out there and they just jam," Crean recalled. "So basically Tony and Carmine just kind of keep a beat and Vinnie just plays. I guess a little later he decided that he just didn't want to do that either.”
Speaking just after the shows were canceled, Appice also referred to Vincent’s appearance on the Kiss Kruise with Four by Fate. “Vinnie's always been like a showoff kind of guy, and he just stood there,” he said. “He looked like he was scared to me. I asked him, 'Can you still play? You've been out 30 years.' He goes, 'Yeah. I've been playing in my house. Yeah, of course, I can still play.' I said, 'Okay. I believe you.' But I don't know what happened.”