In 2019 a messenger sent Vinnie's message to the silly facebook group "The Vinnie Vincent Legion" in which Vinnie was talking about guitar shredding and his appearances at the 90's KISS expo's. Down bellow is Vinnie's message to the fb group "The Vinnie Vincent Legion".

"A MESSAGE FROM : VINNIE VINCENT
Hi guys,
Sorry for the delay, but my schedule has been swamped. So here it is.
Bottom line,
I don’t shredd unless I have my own guitar rig which produces my guitar tone.
It’s really that simple.
I’m not aware of any or many guitarists that would simply walk on stage and plug into anything without extensive time to achieve a tone that’s conducive to that person’s style and what they are used to hearing when they execute their craft. It takes time and many complex elements to achieve the tone to that particular guitarist.
The Miami show was no different than when I sat in with Kiss tribute bands in the 90’s, expos etc, and then in Europe, Sweden in particular, it was always the same. Vinnie sitting in to play a few VINNIE Kiss songs.
And It was the same situation in Miami.
As I recall, my performance was eventually contracted to perform 2 VINNIE KISS tribute songs with the band. Since I had a show at Chiller in NJ the day before, and had to drive 24 hrs non stop from NJ to Miami in one day to make the show, I wanted what was easiest for me given the duress of the non stop drive.
I had no intention to transport my guitar rig on the long trip especially since I was only sitting in with the band for 2 songs, which given the strenuous travel involved, made the most sense to me....
I intended it to be just what it was all the times prior, sit in with the house band for 2 tribute VINNIE KISS SONGS, no VINNIE SHREDD.
That was fine, I thought nothing of it. The band and I played 2 VINNIE KISS songs live that we rehearsed. I remember we tried a third song on the spot. Many of these songs are forgotten to me since I don’t live kiss songs like the fans do, so there’s always a bit of "winging it" going on.
We rehearsed the 2 songs the night before for what seemed like an hour or so and that was that. There wasn't time for much more. The show came and went and I had fun and the audience did too.
Then someone invented an internet crime and found me guilty of not shredding. I thought they were kidding, but like everything today, it snowballed out of control growing tentacles at each turn. I laughed at the absurdity of this manufactured nonsense, and since i don’t pander to bullies or insanity, I let it go. The truth comes forward eventually, which it did on August 10 at the BIRTHDAY BASH for those who attended.
In retrospect, I should have done a 30 minute SHREDD SHOW as my contracted performance and NOT sit in with a band to play cover songs, but it went a different way, which at the time was inconsequential as I didn't think anything of it. Since my travel deadline was nothing less than a nightmare, I needed to do as i said what was easiest on me. Play 2 songs and leave. As with every untested situation, there are always unknown factors at play, so i didn't want to risk the quality of my performance.
I now know that a tribute "sit in” won’t ever happen again. From now on, any contracted show requiring me to perform will by absolute necessity, be a Shredd show, regardless of the logistics.
Which is just as well because In terms of sheer shredding, I’m most comfortable on stage ALONE with my guitar rig, doing my thing. And that is the simplicity of it.
Unless I’ve had ample time to physically jamm it out with a band whose players are unknown to me, even if I have my own guitar rig, I prefer it to be just me on stage. Even in putting together and having your own band, there's always a breaking in period before things start to gel.
Life is about lessons learned. So from here on forward, it’s a VINNIE VINCENT SHREDD SHOW. That’s that.
Have a great day everyone.
My best, VINNIE"

I remember this statement and it is pure BS. Sure you can say this as your reasons for playing or not playing, but seriously, bring your guitar and arrange for some equipment you like to be there.

Or be like so many other industrious musicianls who travel all over the country and world doing sessions and shows with their sound in a uint like the Line 6 Helix or similar.

That is way too many words to cover the situation.

So many guitarists have played another guitarists rig, even if it's just to see if they can sound like them (they can't).

In the 90's Vinnie just needed to tell people what he needed at each venue and these days he should have that shit sorted to have a great sound in a box, or again tell them what he needs.

Can't play without his special sound from special amps, yeah, I've never bougth that.

So he was contracted to do two of his songs, didn't bother relearning them beforehand and had to drop one after a preshow runthrough made it clear he couldn't play much of anything on a good enough level. The long drive, exhaustion from the trip and him being reportedly under the weather, with his old age factoring in this, are ideal excuses for being incapable to perform - you just can't fault a person for being tired, old and sick. As for setups and all the other nonsense.. I thought good technique in the often-practiced fingers would cover the lack of desired equipment. Hell, playing guitar publicly is the only thing required of a guitarist, and the only thing that makes one a guitarist in the eyes of the general public.
I think we expect too much of Vinnie.

To further illustrate what I was getting at, watch this video I just stumbled across



Check out Zakk absolutely ripping it up all over the place on a Peavy amp that was obviously supplied locally for this performance.

Zakk was uing modded Marshalls and very cool Metaltronix amps back then, but did that stop him playing like a monster at this little shindig?

No it did not.

Sorry Vinnie, your reasons and excuses ring hollow buddy. You didn't play for some other reasons, not the ones we have been given.

The Vinnie from the KISS days would have been soloing all over those songs, in the 90's and more recently. Remeember you famously continued your solo spotlight longer than usual. And then........nothing.

Professional musicians can play on other equipment. Nobody was asking you to record a live album, just to play to the fans.