When it comes to supporting their favorite artists, some fans are willing to spend some serious money. With concert tickets climbing into the hundreds, even vinyls are seeing a price rise. And that didn’t include the limited editions that could also hit the hundreds of dollars. But again, through it all – fans remain loyal. But for Vinnie Vincent, he found himself threatening to shelve his upcoming album due to sales.
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Given Vincent’s history with KISS and his own solo career, it might seem strange that fans weren’t interested in his album Guitarmageddon. The demand for the album had little to do with fans, as Vincent had an unusual marketing campaign that announced that the price of a single song would be $200.
That wasn’t a typo. For a fan wanting to hear a single song on Guitarmageddon, it would cost them $200. There are a total of 18 songs on the album. Doing the math for you – that’s $3,600 for every song. Using that money elsewhere, a person could buy a luxury weekend getaway at an exclusive spa. Or take a nice destination trip. While some fans might be willing to pay the massive amount, Vincent said he wouldn’t ship the album unless he hit 1,000 pre-sales.
The Reason Vinnie Vincent Priced His Album So High
Although not giving away the total number of pre-sales, Vincent defended his stance, insisting, “There’s no money releasing a record like this with bootlegging thieves at my door. Unless I get compensated for my work, the album stays unheard. It comes down to this; if the fan support is not there which it does not appear to be, this record will not be released.”
With Vincent having the most to lose, especially with the time put into the album, he seemed content with it going into the vault. “Am I fine with that? Absolutely. 100%. It will be the greatest album of all time, never to be heard, never to be released. If people want my music, and think they’re punishing me by not buying it because of the price, it matters not to me. They’re the ones who will lose out.”
While deeming his unreleased album the “greatest album of all time,” Vincent made it clear he has no intention of lowering the price or changing course, leaving the future of Guitarmageddon entirely in the hands of fans willing to meet his demands.
(Photo by Bobby Bank/Getty Images)
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