Drummer VINNY APPICE Performs With DIO DISCIPLES For First Time; Video Available

July 20, 2013

Legendary drummer Vinny Appice (DIO, BLACK SABBATH, HEAVEN & HELL) played his first show with DIO DISCIPLES this past Thursday, July 18 at The Rockpile in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below.

Vinny is filling in for DIO DISCIPLES' regular drummer, Simon Wright (DIO, AC/DC, UFO),who was unable to make several of the band's gigs this month due to scheduling conflicts.

DIO DISCIPLES, which pays tribute to legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio (BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW, DIO, HEAVEN & HELL) and is fully supported by Dio's widow/manager, Wendy, currently consists of the following musicians:

* Tim "Ripper" Owens (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH) - Vocals
* Oni Logan (LYNCH MOB) - Vocals
* Craig Goldy (DIO) - Guitar
* Bjorn Englen (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN) - Bass
* Scott Warren (DIO,HEAVEN & HELL) - Keyboards
* Simon Wright (DIO, AC/DC, UFO) – Drums

During an April 2011 appearance on the "All Hail Hair" show on Fightin' Words Radio, Vinny Appice was asked what he thought of DIO DISCIPLES going out on the road and paying tribute to Ronnie James Dio. "I think it's disgusting," he said. "I mean, why are they even doing it? Plus, [Ronnie has] not even been passed away for a year. And, you know… It's kind of… I don't know. It's kind of weird, man. It's weird."

Vinny last year teamed up with fellow original DIO members Vivian Campbell (guitar),Jimmy Bain (bass) and Claude Schnell (keyboards),along with singer Andrew Freeman, in a brand new DIO tribute band called LAST IN LINE.

In a recent interview with BackstageAxxess.com, Vinny stated about his involvement with DIO DISCIPLES: "Just because I said it was disgusting at one point, now it's all over Blabbermouth. 'To Vinny Appice, it's not disgusting anymore.' The problem was they did it a couple of months after Ronnie passed, and then I thought it was awful; it wasn't the right time. Now they can do whatever they want; it's cool. I mean, we're playing DIO songs [with the 'Drum Wars' project] tonight, so I was a big part of it. It was just that, at the moment, it didn't seem like the best time to do it. I'm just doing a few dates with them because they needed a drummer."

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