Ex-KISS Guitarist VINNIE VINCENT Announces First Concert In 30 Years

Former KISS guitarist Vinnie Vincent will perform live for the first time in 30 years on December 7 in Memphis, Tennessee. Although the venue for the concert has yet to be announced, it has been revealed that the event will consist of an acoustic set featuring KISS and VINNIE VINCENT INVASION songs. Tickets for the show will apparently go on sale tomorrow (Friday, July 27).

Back in January, Vincent was joined by his ex-VINNIE VINCENT INVASION bandmate Robert Fleischman at the Atlanta KISS Expo 2018 to perform an acoustic version of the VINNIE VINCENT INVASION song "Back On The Streets". During the same event, Vinnie gave his first public interview in more than two decades, and said that he still feels "very strongly" about the two VINNIE VINCENT INVASION albums he released three decades ago, 1986's self-titled effort and 1988's "All Systems Go". However, Vinnie said that "the second record should have never happened. Rob [Fleischman] should have stayed with the project," he said. "The basic sound of that record was like [Jimmy] Page and [Robert] Plant — it was Rob and me. That first record was pretty red-hot. It was my vision; Rob singing; everything was just right. Second version of it should have been aborted, should have never happened. I had the power; I should have taken it. I should have called the shots, which should have been, 'Stop this. Revamp it. Go back, let me get the people I need.' The people that were involved with it at that time should have not been involved with it, but it was such a publicity machinery piece of... it was like a product. It was all publicity and hype. The songs I felt were really good, but I didn't feel the music came out to be... the records weren't what I would have done. I would have never settled on records like that. When I say records, the first one, yes; the second one, no; and that singer [Mark Slaughter, who sang on 'All Systems Go'] was unbearable as far as I'm concerned."

Vincent — who was a member of KISS when the band publicly "unmasked" in 1983 — has made several public appearances this year after spending the past two decades out of the public eye. He recently addressed rumors about his gender identity but declined to answer the question directly, explaining that he wanted to keep a mystique about the subject. He also said that he hopes to complete his autobiography "within a year."

Vinnie joined KISS in 1982, replacing Ace Frehley. As the "Ankh Warrior," he toured with the group in support of "Creatures Of The Night", on which he played lead guitar on six songs prior to becoming an official member of the band.