Since Ronnie James Dio’s death, numerous all-star Dio tribute groups have come to fruition. The two most notable, though, are Dio Disciples (featuring Tim “Ripper” Owens and Dio’s last lineup) and the more recently formed Last In Line (lead by guitarist Vivian Campbell and his former Dio bandmates). Now those two tributes have something in common: drummer Vinny Appice will play a few shows with each.
It was announced that Appice (who played with Ronnie in Dio, Black Sabbath and Heaven & Hell) will be filling in for in for Simon Wright for at least three shows with Dio Disciples in July. This came shortly after Last In Line announced plans for a mini U.K. tour, slated for August. Appice’s involvement with Dio Disciples is somewhat surprising, not only since he’s playing in another tribute group but also since he once called Dio Disciples “disgusting” during a 2011 interview with Fightin’ Words Radio’s All Hail Hair show. Obviously, though, Appice has had a change of heart.
As of now, Appice is only slated to play three shows with Dio Disciples in July. And while The Last In Line can only do four shows due to scheduling conflicts at the moment, there is hope they may be able to book some warm-up shows on the U.S. West Coast.
