yesterday evening the Appice brothers performed a "drum battle" and then, with a group of players (bassist and guitarist were BEHIND the drumkits XD XD), have performed songs by DIO, BLACK SABBATH, OZZY and a rock version of "do ya think I'm sexy" (Carmine is co -author of the song). They then performed an improvisation with Tony Esposito a famous italian percussionist- fro drum and percussion and then a duet where Carmine used a snare (playng with his hands the skin and then the springs as if they were the strings of a guitar, very interesting.)and Tony used a talking drum They closed the set with asong by Cactus (very recommended, Tim Bogert, in addition to being a great bass player, has influenced Billy Sheehan ). Carmine is also a great entertainer and made the audience sing, everybody had fun.

After the concert, with great patience and sympathy, they come out to do a lot pose for pics and to autograph everythingsthey were , very very kind and patient-although you could see that Carmine was tired.They were both surprised by a a couple of items that I made them sign: smt005. I have given to Carmine greetings on behalf of kissweb-it and , albeit a little gratouitous on my part,, I thanked him for the kind words he had for Eric Carr (see the book by Greg Prato) and he looked at me and said "he was a good man" .He did not say much Vinnie Cusano when i've mentioned to him,he said he liked his playng,more or less,but probably he didn't understand very much,since he was overly tired.


Overall, an interesting experience, at a modest price (from 10 to 15 euros), with some misgivings: Carmine has a resume that most famous drummers can only dream about, inspired John Bonham and played with all the big ..but why play Ozzy tunes......... with which he has only shot a video and only made a tour? it would have been better run "superstitious" or "blcak cat moan" of the BBA or, even better, pieces of Vanilla Fudge, or murder .......... Besides that, Carmine wrote some excellent methods for drumming,he has a school and was also ambassador to UNICEF

Vinnie he has an excelllent track record ( his first the group's debut was sponsored and recorded with a John Lennon, has received a wild call from Sharon osbourne and, that same afternoon, he moved from the U.S. to London, without a blink).

Vinnie has a touch more 'heavy and dry, but when Carmine uses the double bass drum and toms (a bit like the end of "take me away")he' s a tornado ..........

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PS ............. the meet and greet was ABSOLUTELY free ............. XD XD XD XD

vinnie and carmine are friends unless that changed in the past year. Vinnie calls him a 'great friend'. Carmine loaned Vinnie his Slingerlands for the GFH recordings. I am surprised he didn't talk about him.

Cool story about the clinic.
Carmine played in town a few years back with Vanilla Fudge. I swiped a stick and had him sign it.

there were a lot of people calling him for autograph and pics,i asked him if it was true that Vinnie Cusano is one of his fave players and he said"Yeah,Vinnie, a guitar player" it was simply a case of tiredness and noise.........i didn't want to impose on him,so i didn't ask him further.Already people were taking advantage of his good attitude.The Eric comment was said afterwards during a lucky moment inbetween the people pulling him here and there for taking pics with him.

I made him autograph an old interview from 1982..........he was mentioning wrting a book " the international guide to trash hotel rooms" and,apart from his sexual sexcapades-telling the interviewer tha t his mother shouldn't have read that interview -he did describe the famous "mudshark" incident.

I had Vinny sign a book called the "a to z of rock drummers"where there was a pic of him in his younger years.At frist he was taken aback,and then,smiling he wrote "'76" over his autograph.

All in all,a great experience and both were super nice above and beyond the call of duty.