CARMINE APPICE On RONNIE JAMES DIO Hologram Tour: 'It Keeps The Music Alive'

In a recent interview with "Rock Hard With Jay Conroy", legendary drummer Carmine Appice was asked for his opinion on the current Ronnie James Dio hologram tour. He said (hear audio below): "I don't know until I see it. I really only saw it on my phone. I can't really tell… I think the idea is interesting. It keeps the music alive. And if it works… I heard they're working on other ones too already. If it works, you can QUEEN with Freddie Mercury, you can have Elvis [Presley], Michael Jackson… That'd be Gene Simmons's dream. He can sit home and four holograms on the stage. [Laughs]"

He continued: "It's easy to do it like a singer. It's very difficult to do with guitar players, unless you have guitar players actually doing the parts or a drummer actually playing the part exactly what's being filmed. A singer, it's a little easier, 'cause it's moving around and singing. They're not following their fingers."

The Dio hologram production uses audio of Ronnie's live performances from throughout his career, with the DIO DISCIPLES band playing live, consisting of Simon Wright on drums, Craig Goldy on guitar, and Scott Warren on keyboards, along with Bjorn Englen on bass. Also appearing with them are singers Tim "Ripper" Owens and Oni Logan.

The 90-minute concert includes all of the DIO fan favorites — such as "Holy Diver", "King Of Rock And Roll" and "We Rock" — plus select tracks from RAINBOW and BLACK SABBATH.

The legendary heavy metal singer died in 2010 at the age of 67 from stomach cancer. His hologram made its debut at the Wacken Open Air festival in August 2016 in front of more than 75,000 fans.

After the tour's initial seven-date run was completed in December 2017, Ronnie's hologram underwent "some changes" before the launch of the 2019 leg of the "Dio Returns" world tour.