Pop Music Reviews : Vinnie Vincent’s Invasion Retreats

Guitarist Vinnie Vincent’s claim to fame is that he was once in Kiss. Unfortunately, that won’t carry a band, as the Invasion’s Wednesday night show proved. The 1,200-capacity Palace was two-thirds filled with kids hoping for some of that old Kiss fire. Instead, their enthusiasm was dampened by a particularly bad show.

There was not one memorable song in the Vinnie Vincent Invasion’s 90-minute-plus set. Often a band with no decent tunes will try to offset this failing with a high-profile visual image. Not these guys. Vocalist Mark Slaughter’s lackluster presence and generic singing style didn’t help matters.

Nor did the Palace’s sound, as Vincent’s guitar was often drowned out by Dana Strum’s bass, Bobby Rock’s drums--or both. In the middle of the show, Vincent took center stage for an interminably long solo that sounded more like warm-up exercises than an impressive display of skill. Bor-ing! The solo, like most of the show, drew more yawns than applause.

In spite of an ability to draw large crowds of teen-age girls at regular Sunset Strip gigs, second-billed Tuff is a flat-out awful band. Wednesday, they were out of tune, sported an awkward, amateurish stage presence and were deservedly booed by the audience.

Opening act Brunette offered bombastic passion and five guys with lots of long brown hair to go with unoriginal songs and formula metal.