Suzanne Vega: Stage Fright - The Moth

Transcript

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Dan Kennedy (2:19)

Welcome to the Moth Podcast. I'm Dan Kennedy. So what do you say we just get right to our this week's story by Suzanne Vega was told live at the moth in 2002. The theme of the night Was rock and roll saved my tales of hits and misses. Here's Suzanne's story.

Suzanne Vega (2:41)

So it starts in 1989, and it's July, and I'm on tour with my band and we're touring through Europe. And this is a very usual thing. I had been touring for years and years, seven or eight years by that point. So we had just come from Israel and we had landed in the uk, In England. So I had never been to Israel before. And the first time you go there, all the security is a bit daunting. You know, they search you and they search you again and they ask you questions. And I found it a little scary. So even though I really enjoyed my time there, I was looking forward to coming back to England, which was very familiar to me. So this was. We had just landed in England. We were staying at the Holiday Inn Airport near Heathrow. Very glamorous. So I wake up that morning, and that night I'm going to play at the Glastonbury Festival in Glastonbury. So we have a journey to go to, and it's probably going to be the biggest audience I'm ever going to face, where there's supposed to be 75,000 or 80,000 people there. And I'm headlining that night. It's a Friday night, so I'm the last act on the show. And all this is okay. This is fine. I pack my stuff. I go downstairs to the front desk, and there's some kind of altercation at the desk. And I see my bass player, Mikey, and he's looking really unhappy. He's looking really pale. And he's like half Puerto Rican, half Italian. So pale is not his usual color. So I am concerned about this. And then I also see my tour manager also looking really upset. My manager. There's all this kind of buzzing going on. I'm like, what's going on? So we all knew that there had been some girl that had a crush on Mike, you know, and this happens from time to time. You know, girls fall in love with the guys in the band. And I try and stay out of it, you know, and they send things or whatever, and I try and lay down rules. You know, we don't want random girls on the bus. But you can have your girlfriend or you can have your wife. Random girls off the bus. But I kind of knew about this random girl because she. It started off with little gifts that were coming backstage for Mike, and we all thought that was really cute. And then after that, graduated to pictures of herself naked and. Well, whatever. But Then we all became worried because she had actually moved to Queens from London to be near him when we were not on tour. And we all felt that that was going too far. So now it turned out that now we're back in the UK and we are going to play Glastonbury. And she has called him in the middle of the night and made these threats and said to him that she, she and her friend, who is a male guy who is also calling the hotel, were going to shoot him if he went out on stage that night. So I'm like, oh God, I hate that kind of day because I just want to be in England where it's just nice, you know, and it was comfortable and it was, you know. And Glastonbury is a festival of hippies. Basically. They have a big peace sign on the stage. So. And I'm thinking, is this really going to happen? But my manager feels that we should take it seriously. So we call Scotland Yard. So we all waiting for Mr. Scotland Yard to show up. The detective shows up and he takes the trip with us on the bus. Mike is freaking out. Everybody's freaking out, so. And I'm like, okay. So he asks us some questions. He finds out some things about this girl, he finds out some things about the other man who was making the calls and this kind of thing. So the tension is kind of building. It's a long trip. And we finally get there and we wind our way through this crowd of people and we're trying to find our way back backstage to where the bus is supposed to be. And it's kind of muddy. I think it had rained and then it had stopped raining. So now there's all this dust and stuff in the air and there's throngs of people. And we're trying to find our way backstage. And once we get there, I feel that I need to go for a walk. I need a little privacy. And I try and go for a walk. I figure I'll check out some of the booths that are selling tie dyed things and military surplus. Mr. Scotland Yard wants to walk with me. And I'm like, no, no, it's okay, you know, you stay with Mike, I'll be fine. No, Ms. Bega, I feel I really should come with you. No, I don't want you to come with me. You can stay with Mike. I need to go off. And he said no. So I said, okay, fine, I'll stay here. Then we were going to go on Stage at about 11 o'clock, at about 9:30, suddenly four or five policemen show up, and they come onto the bus, and they want to have a little chat with me. And I'm like, why? You know, Mike will be fine. He's going to perform on the side of the stage. We have two bodyguards for Mike. He's going to perform in a bulletproof vest. He's got. The two bodyguards are there. One looks like Mr. Clean and one looks like GI Joe, and they're very handsome guys, and they're going to defend Mike. So I'm like, great, what's the problem? So the policemen sit me down, and they said, well, we didn't want to tell you this because we were. We didn't want to upset you, but your life was also threatened. They also said, Ms. Vega, if you go out on stage, you will also get it. So being that we have tracked down the woman, but we haven't tracked down her accomplice, we feel that we need to inform you legally that you should not do this show tonight. We feel that you should not perform on stage tonight. So I'm like, what, are you kidding? This is Friday night. I'm headlining the Glastonbury festival. There's, like, 100,000 people. What do you mean I'm not going to do the show? Of course I'm going to do the show. You know, the show must go on. What are you talking about? No one's going to, like, shoot me on the Glastonbury stage under the peace sign. So. And then I'm thinking, well, anyway, you don't want to know what I was thinking. So I said, no, no. I said, I really have to do the show. I feel that I really must. And my keyboard player, who's also my boyfriend, is looking at me with tears in his eyes, and he's like, no, no, I don't think you should do it. I'm like, I'm sorry. We have to do it. How can we possibly come back to England if we don't do this show? You know, any crazy person can call up on the phone and say, you know, whatever they're going to say, and then everybody would know that we canceled. So they said, okay, well, you'll have to wear the bulletproof vest as well. So I said, okay. The only one they had was his. And this policeman was about £250. And I'm like, half that size. So they put it on me, and it's enormous. And they strap me in, and they gaffers tape it closed. So I'm like, okay. And I'm like, can I still play the guitar? I think so. And then I have a. They put a huge denim jacket on over that, so no one sees the bulletproof vest. So now I'm all decked out like a turtle like this. And my arms are kind of like this. I'm like, okay. But, you know, I felt really strongly that we should. We should go on. We should risk our lives. You know, this is rock and roll. This is what we do. So I remember that moment as I was walking out on the stage, and I see the microphone there, and I'm in my denim jacket and my gaffer's tape and my bulletproof vest, and things start to feel like I'm going underwater. And as I'm heading for the microphone, the thought suddenly occurs to me that they could shoot me in the head. And I'm like, oh, I wish I hadn't thought that right now. But I'm not thinking about that anymore. I'm just heading for the microphone. And then I pick up the guitar and I start singing. And the other thing that happened was that now this whole situation has escalated to the point where there's 20 policemen in front of the stage. There's 100,000 people behind them. There's people as far as the eye can see from the stage all the way to the horizon. This is like several villages or something. Not only that, but there's helicopters overhead, and they've decided to train the lights not on the stage, which they usually do, but from time to time, they swivel the lights onto the audience to search them to see if they see anyone with a weapon. So I'm singing. Every song feels like it's taking 20 minutes long. Small blue thing just seems to go on forever. And I'm looking at it every so often. They swivel the lights onto the audience, and I'm like, you know, Then I continue to play, and every so often, I turn around to look at Mike. Of course, he's not there. You know, Mike is over there with Mr. Clean and GI Joe, and there's his amplifier on the floor. So it's like, where's Mike? Oh, there's his amp. So, blah, blah. I'm playing. It's all going pretty well. I'm thinking, wow, this is great that we're alive. And suddenly my keyboard player approaches me and he says, sing, Luca, and get off stage. And I'm like, why? And he goes, I can't tell you right now, but we have to get off stage by 12:30. And I'm like, okay. And then I start thinking, well, why did they want me to get off stage? Did they find some. Did they find the weapon? Did they find the girl? Did they find her accomplice? Maybe I should just get off stage and not sing Luca. Luca was my big hit at that point. And it was. And I decided, no, we're going to stay, we're going to sing Luca. We're going to entertain everybody. I've come to be entertained. We have to do this. So I sing Luca, everybody's cheering, I come off stage. It all feels like it's going in slow motion. And I said, what happened? Did they find the girl? No. Did they find her accomplice? No. Did they find somebody with a weapon? No. Well, why did we have to get off stage at 12:30? And then the promoter of the festival comes over to me and says, Ms. Vega, we didn't get a chance to explain this to you before, but the festival has a curfew because the farmers in the next field have the cows and the cows get disturbed if you sing past 12:30. And it makes them less productive. And that's my story. And that's it. Thank you.

Summary of "Suzanne Vega: Stage Fright" – The Moth Podcast

Introduction

In the October 8, 2012 episode of The Moth podcast titled "Suzanne Vega: Stage Fright," renowned singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega shares a gripping and humorous story from her touring days. This narrative, performed live at The Moth in 2002, delves into the challenges of fame, unexpected threats, and the resilience required to perform under pressure.

Setting the Scene

Suzanne Vega begins her story by setting the stage in July 1989, detailing her experience while touring Europe with her band. Having toured extensively for seven to eight years, Vega was familiar with the rigors of life on the road. She recounts their recent visit to Israel, highlighting the intense security measures that made her yearn for the familiarity and comfort of England.

Notable Quote:

"[02:41] Suzanne Vega: So it starts in 1989, and it's July, and I'm on tour with my band and we're touring through Europe."

The Threat Unfolds

Upon landing in England and staying at the Holiday Inn Airport near Heathrow, Vega anticipates performing at the prestigious Glastonbury Festival, expecting an audience of up to 80,000 people. However, tension arises when her bass player, Mikey, appears visibly distressed. Vega explains that a female fan had developed an unhealthy obsession with Mikey, escalating from small gifts to nude photographs and eventually moving to Queens to be near him when the band was not on tour.

Notable Quote:

"[02:41] Suzanne Vega: ...there was some girl that had a crush on Mike... she had actually moved to Queens from London to be near him when we were not on tour."

Involvement of Law Enforcement

The situation intensifies when the obsessive fan and her male accomplice threaten to shoot Mikey if he performs at Glastonbury. Recognizing the severity of the threat, Vega and her team contact Scotland Yard. A detective accompanies them on the tour bus to assess the threat, heightening the sense of urgency and fear among the band members.

Notable Quote:

"[02:41] Suzanne Vega: So my manager feels that we should take it seriously. So we call Scotland Yard."

Preparing for the Performance

As the festival approaches, the detective advises Vega against performing to ensure her safety. Determined to proceed, Vega opts to wear a bulletproof vest, despite its discomfort and impracticality. She describes the preparation process, including donning a denim jacket and being strapped into the vest, transforming her appearance significantly.

Notable Quote:

"[02:41] Suzanne Vega: They put it on me, and it's enormous. And they strap me in, and they gaffer's tape it closed."

The Performance Under Threat

Vega takes the stage amidst a heightened security presence, including 20 policemen and helicopters overhead. She vividly describes the surreal experience of performing with the constant fear of being targeted. The extensive security measures, such as spotlighting the audience for weapons, add to the tension.

Notable Quote:

"[02:41] Suzanne Vega: Every song feels like it's taking 20 minutes long... It's like several villages or something."

A Surprising Twist

Mid-performance, Vega's keyboard player urges her to stop singing "Luka" and leave the stage, causing further confusion. She remains steadfast, determined to entertain the 100,000-strong audience despite the lack of any immediate threat. After concluding her set, Vega learns from the festival promoter that the real reason for the abrupt end was a curfew imposed to prevent disturbing nearby farmers and their cows—a humorous and unexpected resolution to the high-stakes situation.

Notable Quote:

"[02:41] Suzanne Vega: ...the festival has a curfew because the farmers in the next field have the cows and the cows get disturbed if you sing past 12:30."

Conclusion and Reflections

Suzanne Vega's tale is a testament to the unpredictability of life on tour and the unwavering commitment artists have to their craft. Through humor and resilience, Vega navigates a potentially dangerous situation, ultimately revealing that the threat was a misunderstanding exacerbated by the pressures of fame. Her story underscores the fine line between perception and reality, especially in the high-octane world of live performances.

Final Thoughts

Suzanne Vega's "Stage Fright" is a compelling narrative that blends tension, humor, and the raw realities of performing under threat. It highlights the importance of security in the entertainment industry and the personal fortitude required to overcome unforeseen challenges. For listeners of The Moth and fans of Suzanne Vega alike, this story offers an intimate glimpse into the artist's experiences beyond the spotlight.