Fans Blasts Vinnie Vincent For Selling Insanely Priced Items and Membership Fees

Vinnie Vincent, the former guitarist for the legendary hard rockers KISS, has recently decided to increase the membership cost for his private Facebook page called “Euphoria”, sparking a contentious debate among his fan base.

The former Ankh Warrior has just informed the members via email of a significant increase in the annual dues—which is now set at $200—stating in his message that this increase is an essential step in maintaining the group’s integrity and exclusivity.

His fans have responded to this change in a variety of ways. Some have shown appreciation for the necessity to preserve a certain level of exclusivity and quality inside the group, while others have voiced concerns about the cost and possible effects on the community’s inclusion.

It’s unclear how Vincent’s choice will be received by the devoted fans of “Euphoria” and the larger fan base as discussions about it continue.

Vinnie antagonizes his own fanbase via email

A user on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) shared the email they received from Vinnie Vincent, in which he conveyed the unfortunate news about the increase in the annual fee.

Vinnie wrote, “From Vinnie Vincent. Hey guys. Beginning February 1, 2024, ‘Euphoria’ is changing to a paid membership site. $200 annual fee. It is a necessity to keep out the riff-raff and to ensure the safety and integrity of the fan core of this private club.”

The guitarist continued to explain the rationale behind his decision, using the excuse of weeding out “trolls” out of the “several thousand people” gaining admission to the exclusive Facebook group.

“There have been several thousand people admitted in the last 3 months, and I expect a large number of trolls are lurking. They are in the process of being eliminated. Sorry, but it must be this way. I hope you understand. Anyone who wishes to stay can make payment at anytime up to February 1. Thank you all.”

An overwhelmingly negative response

The announcement elicited a wide range of reactions from fans, including astonishment, disappointment, and criticism. The contents of the email were quickly shared online via screenshots, and one person added levity to the conversation by jokingly wondering if this whole thing was really an early April Fools’ joke.

If one explores any of the responses, one can find fans expressing mostly negative reactions. Another fan candidly expressed their growing disappointment and acknowledged how hard it was becoming to defend Vincent after this particular choice. 

There’s even a critical remark that described the decision as a regrettable squandering of Vincent’s musical abilities joined the chorus of disapproval.

These viewpoints are reflective of the dissatisfaction and worry about the change in the dynamics of the “Euphoria” community, which is the prevalent negative feeling among a portion of the fan base.

Vinnie charges $300 for an autograph?

Vincent was criticized before for his recent private gathering where he sold his personal belongings for extraordinarily expensive rates. Things like guitar picks cost $5,000 while taking a selfie with him costs a whopping $100. A whopping $300 was the going rate for autographs, while sets of Polaroids sold for an astounding $35,000.

An angry Reddit remark perfectly captured the feelings behind these actions: “Vinnie is behaving like a lunatic, continuously attempting to exploit the fervent KISS fanbase for years. It might serve him better to create reasonably priced merchandise such as shirts and posters rather than attaching exorbitant prices, like $10K for his boots or something.”

Vincent launched the Double V fan club, charging a $500 annual membership fee, in addition to these endeavors. He interacted with his fans through this formal fan club, creating a closer bond.

Meanwhile, the guitarist sells a wide range of goods on his online website, including autographed CDs, pictures, and various guitars in addition to handwritten lyrics. There is still debate in the larger community about the scope of these pricing schemes and how people react to them.

A fellow musician called him a “freaking weirdo”

Renowned session drummer Carmine Appice freely discussed his thoughts about former KISS guitarist Vinnie Vincent in an interview with Hot Metal, saying, “He’s doing these gigs that sucker people that go into see him.” Appice even went so far as to call the guitarist a “freaking’ weirdo“.

The drummer claimed that Vincent has an unusual business strategy in which he buys an item, slaps his signature on it, and sells it for ridiculous prices.

“He’ll buy a Stratocaster guitar for 150 bucks, he’ll sign it and sell it for five grand. People buy it. He’ll get 12 people to one of his events, maybe 10 or 12 people, and they’ll pay 1000 bucks to get in, to meet Vinnie Vincent without makeup.”

Appice was scheduled to perform alongside Vinnie Vincent in a mini-reunion show initially planned for December 2018. However, the event was later rescheduled to February 2019 and, ultimately, ended up being completely canceled.