You:
Did you grow up in a musical family?
Vince: Music was always a big part of
my home life when growing up. My Dad used to play drums and the trumpet
- he was really into jazz. I still remember my dad taking me to a Buddy
Rich concert, telling me that I ha d to check this guy out because he
was the greatest drummer. Well, I was pretty amazed!
You: So, you stared out playing drums
I take it?
Vince: At the age of 12 I messed around
a little on the drums, but I actually found myself taking guitar lessons.
My cousin gave me her folk guitar. It was pretty cool for a while, but
I started craving an electric guitar! To tell you the truth, I can't
remember if I got one. From there it was piano lessons, and I even tried
playing the trumpet. Now that was pretty funny!
You: So, when did full-time drumming
enter into the picture?
Vince: I think I was about 13 years old
when I heard my first RUSH album - that's when I made up my mind. I
remember thinking, "Man, I want to play like that!" My first drum set
was a gold sparkle five piece that my Dad bog ht for seventy-five dollars.
I had two friends that lived on the block that started playing drums
the same time as me. One of the things we used to do was set up all
our drums at one person's house and have a drummathon! It was a blast!
You: Did you start playing in bands at
an early age as well?
Vince: Well, I was in a few bands in
High School of course, playing parties and dances. I started playing
in the clubs when I was about 17 or 18. I love to play live. There is
so much raw energy, and it's loud!
You: Do you find a difference between
playing live and playing in the studio?
Vince: The studio is a great place to
learn how to get what you want, and it's also a great place to create
and experiment, but you can get pretty burned out. I guess I enjoy both
situations, but when performing live there s a cool energy between the
band and the audience. In the studio, it is our job to try and get that
energy and feel without the audience, and that can be tough.
You: Before NTJ, you had played with
Dug. How did that all come about?
Vince: When I was 17, a senior in High
School, there was going to have a battle of the bands. I was excited,
but there was one problem. The guys in the band that I was playing with
at the time were all over 21 and the schoo l wouldn't let us play. Well,
I ended up meeting this guy named Dug at Mothers Pinball, and he said
that he played killer guitar. We got together, and he was right! I thought
he was a Randy Rhodes clone! I told him of my little dilemma, and between
th e both of us, we managed to put together a group to play at the battle
of the bands.
You: Well, don't keep us hanging, did
you win?
Vince: We came in second, beaten by the
dudes in Band Class. I always wondered if it was fixed since it was
judged by the Band teacher! In any case, Dug and I continued to play
together for a while, and though it didn't las t forever, I knew we
would get back together in the future.
You: When did you and Dug start playing
together again?
Vince: After three years of playing with
Dear Diary, 1990-1993, I hooked back up with Dug and we began writing
and recording - Dug would play guitar and bass. A lot of the stuff we
were doing was cool instrumental guitar mus ic. One of the tunes we
did was put on "Chicago's Finest Fingers" CD.
You: How did you guys hook up with Mark
and Russ?
Vince: Well, Dug and I started writing
more vocal songs and decided to begin looking for a singer and bass
player. The search went on for a good year, but we just didn't find
the right people. Eventually we ran across an ad that a singer and bass
player were looking for a guitarist and drummer to complete a recording
project and possibly tour. We mailed them a tape which got us an audition,
and that landed us in the band! Everything just clicked so well, and
we began work ing together right away. I can honestly say that this
is the best bunch of guys I've ever played with!
|
