Former KISS guitarist Vinnie Vincent has gone on to defend his decision to sell new limited-edition CD for $225 USD, comparing his music to “caviar or fine art” and that it’s the “best designer drug on the market”.
Former KISS guitarist Vinnie Vincent made headlines this week after sharing his controversial plans to sell his new limited-edition CD for $225 USD ($335.25 AUD)
Earlier today, the guitarist defended the single-track CD’s high price, noting that only 1000 copies are available, as shared on Vincent’s website.
“If the fan support is there, this is what to expect: the price will be for these private recording collection pieces,” says Vincent. “There is a bank vault of recordings I have been preparing for release. The time is almost here.
“I understand the bitching, the moaning, the whining about price, but you must also understand that my situation is such that my music is so desired that it will be targeted and taken from me immediately, which I cannot/will not allow.”
Vincent would also announce that the single was the first from the Vinnie Vincent Invasion’s new album, Judgement Day Guitarmageddon. Vincent also announced his plans to release more singles from the album via a series of “collector’s singles”. These new recordings would mark the band’s first new music release since the Euphoria EP in 1996.
These singles will only be released once the target of 1000 pre-orders is reached.
Fan backlash would make its way to Vincent, who would go on to compare the single to “caviar or fine art,” and asserted that “fair market price” was “yesteryear”.
“Welcome to the new agenda,” he continued. “Artists can and will set their own standards and rules for the purchase price of their art, that’s if their [sic] are any or many artists of value left aside from the standard list. We are nearing 2030. Inflation thru the roof. Homeless..etc..the horror list is endless.”
“It’s a Mad Max wasteland, the wild West for artists now who have No protection from shoplifter fans who download their music for free. They are victims of Massive ripoffs reduced to beg and pander for likes and subscribes from self entitled brats who want their work for free or for next to nothing. Unsigned artists are deer in the woods who never see a dime for the work. Signed artists are ripped off, cheated of the royalties and usually end up in court. Labels own the artists and their works.”
Vincent would conclude by declaring his music “worth every f*cking penny” and “the best designer drug on the market.”
It’s been a very unfortunate month for KISS fans. Earlier in December, Vincent’s former glam-rock bandmates would go on to accept Kennedy Center Honor medals from Donald Trump, despite frontman Paul Stanley once describing the president as “abhorrent” and “a true danger to democracy”.
Gene Simmons has also made several political statements in recent weeks. The famed bass player would appear before a US Senate Judiciary subcommittee to defend musicians’ wages, saying that the modern musician is treated “worse than slaves“.
Last week, he appeared on CNN and asked people to “stop worrying what your next-door neighbour believes or doesn’t believe” and to stop interrogating people over their political beliefs. Given that his plea comes after accepting Kennedy Center medals from the President of the United States, awarded to the band at White House, many are calling out Simmons out for the tone deaf nature of his speech.
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