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Tuesday, June 17, 2008
My weekend getaway with The Bangles
Posted by Eric Snider on Tue, Jun 17, 2008 at 3:25 PM
During the 27 years that I’ve been writing about music, I’ve certainly hogged my share of hookups and swag. But last weekend took the prize. Ben Eason, CL’s CEO, asked if I would come down to a swank resort in Key Largo to help out during a retreat he takes with his business society, the Florida chapter of the Young Presidents Organization.
Come on down, stay a couple nights. My task: Lead a panel Q&A with The Bangles on Saturday morning and introduce them from the stage before their concert that night.
Um, I thought (for a millisecond), I could do that.
I haven’t spent much time thinking about The Bangles in the two decades since they scored hits like “Manic Monday,” “Walk Like an Egyptian” and “Hazy Shade of Winter.” Come to think of it, I didn’t really think much about The Bangles when they were in their hey day. Nice pop tunes, strong vocal harmonies, pleasant to look at. A marginally better act than The Go-Gos.
So here it came Saturday morning; the General and the historian had finished their talks, and it was time for a popular girl group from the 1980s to share their thoughts with a few dozen company presidents, most of them Republicans in their 30s and 40s, along with their wives (and a few of their kids).
This, I figured, should be interesting. And it was, mostly because The Bangles made it so. The three current members — sisters Vicki and Debbi Peterson and Susanna Hoffs — sat with me at one of those long tables in a conference room. (Michael Steele left the band in 2005, and they use a hired gun on bass.)
My opening query: “In keeping with the general businesslike tone of this gathering, let me start with this: You’re really hot, all of you. What’s your secret?”
I didn’t really get an answer, but judging by their smiles and chuckles, The Bangles seemed to like the question. I wasn’t being obsequious. They were hot. Susanna is 49, Vicki 50 and Debbi 46. Hot. No doubt. We went on to discuss their business model, the pitfalls of the music biz, their early days touring as an all-female group, how they balance family (all are married with children) and career, and other stuff.
Susanna was particularly forthright in her disdain for American Idol, calling it a “karaoke contest.” (I wholeheartedly agree.) Throughout the hour-plus session, which also included questions from the audience, The Bangles came across as smart, approachable, warm and completely unaffected by whatever fame they have now or had in the past.
These women were hotter when they left than then when they first sat down.
The guy who organized The Bangles appearance for the YPO gathering took a risk: Instead of having them perform in a ballroom, he set the band up on a stage on the beach, rain possibilities be damned. I applauded the move. Bangles in a ballroom: Pretty cool. Bangles on the beach: the potential to be special.
The Bangles hit the bandstand at dusk with a vigorous breeze blowing through their hair and billowing their all-black outfits. Like I said, the band hadn’t entered my mind much over a couple of decades, so here was a chance for some reconsideration. Now I’m willing to admit that, because I immediately liked these women as people, it may have helped me like their show a little more, but I thought they were very good.
The songs were irrepressibly catchy; they played with more punch than I expected (Vicki’s tight guitar solos were impressive) and, best of all, their vocal harmonies were among the best I’ve ever heard in a concert setting. By the way, every move Susanna Hoffs makes on stage, and most are subtle, has an innate sexiness.
She and I bonded a bit earlier in the day when I told her I was a big fan of the album she did last year with Matthew Sweet, a collection of ’60s remakes called Under the Covers, Vol. 1. Upon hearing me say this, she whipped out her iPod and played me part of a tune from Vol. 2 (all ’70s songs): the ballad section, not yet mixed, of Yes’ “I’ve Seen All Good People.” (Right as I asked her what other tunes she and Sweet covered, we got hauled into the conference room, although I did hear her say The Ramones and Warren Zevon.)
Several hours later, as the Bangles walked off stage after their set, I stood in the background, my elbows propping me up on a road case. Susanna walked over to me, mirrored my pose and smiled. “So what’d ya think?” she asked, having read me correctly as a rock critic who probably dismissed The Bangles in the ’80s.
“Don’t take this wrong,” I said, “But it was a whole lot better than I expected.”
“No, I’m not taking it wrong,” Susanna responded. “We’ve gotten that before. But we’re a real band.”
Comments (37)
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I was at the concert too. A friend, working sound, invited me since he knew I was a HUGE "Masher" from their "Different Light" & "Everything" days. (I was the *only* girl in jeans wearing the "Angels Don't Fall in Love" tShirt) I was very impressed, and a bit relieved, that they still have "it" after all of these years! Thanks for sharing your thoughts with the rest of the world! Travel On!
At heart, I'm a Classic Hard Rock/Southern Rock/Metal Guy (Who also appriciates Blues, Classical, The Rat Pack, etc.) but The Bangles always had (...and still have and always will.) a special place in my heart. I saw them last August in Cleveland at The House Of Blues and it was a great live show. This was the second time I've seen them, the other being in 1989 at The Ohio State Fair in Columbus. I was fortunate in that I got to finally MEET them backstage after the show. I was f'n nervous but it was a great time. They were all sweet. It was the first time I met Vicki & Debbi Peterson and the second time I met Susanna Hoffs. The first time I met Susanna was in Columbus when she was promoting her first solo album in the early 90's. Yes, I was nervous then too, but I managed to get through it both times. Thanks for the blog.
Susanna Hoffs has no point to bitch about "karaoke contests". Her Bangles are notorious for hiring studio musicians to do the hard work, hiring professional songwriters to write the songs for them and they had their fair share of karaoke as well. None of their hits were selfpenned. They didn't play any instruments for a Beatles song they covered years ago for a Beatles tribute CD, they use pre-recorded tracks on stage, and Vicki "The Hack" Peterson still can't play songs they play for DECADES without bum notes. And they did a lot of lipsynching in TV shows where other bands played live, and still do. If someone would hire them that is. They are the female Milli Vanilli and Susanna Hoffs is just jealous because other people sell the CD's now while they do the 80's retro circuit. That this review rather praises their alleged "hotness" says it all. And by the way, a couple of years ago they planned, together with some Go-Go's, an american idol sort of show. Kinda hypocritical to attack other shows of that kind but its probably that jealousy thing again. Plus, they still say "But we are a real band". My ass!!!!! ROFLMAO!!!! Is there any other veteran act out there doing that??? Has Mick Fleetwod ever said to someone "But we are a real band!"? Has Mick Jagger ever stated such a thing? At least this review proves one thing. There is actually ONE person out there who likes Vicki "The Hack" Petersons one-string 'solos'! Way to go, Vicki! You certainly left a mark in music history - just like Milli Vanilli.
By way of clarification, Anthony, having heard Susannna's comment firsthand about The Bangles being a real band, I think I understand the context, and that is, they've been dismissed by fellas like you (and critics like me) for so long that occasionally they feel the need to point out that they are not just a girl group run by puppet masters. I don't think they equate themselves with The Stones as far as bands go. They are a pop group. As far as the karaoke comment, using studio musicians has been common practice in the annals of pop music. And how many pop bands have scored hits by other songwriters? Another common practice. Several of the tunes The Bangles played during their set were written by band members, and were some of the most appealing numbers. As far as lip-syncing: Susanna and I talked a bit about that, and some shows they performed on required them to lip-sync. It's unlikely that a group of singers with vocal chemistry like that would choose to lip-sync. (I can't say that it never happened, but I'm betting it wouldn't happen now.) Vicki is never going to give Hendrix a run, but in the context of those sweet pop tunes, her basic, short and direct solos were very effective. As far as the Milli Vanilli comparison, c'mon. The Bangles sing their tunes, Milli Vanilli didn't. That simple. Your other points have some merit, but the Milli Vanilli thing doesn't hold up at all. I was backstage and, while I can't certify this absolutely, it sure looked like The Bangles sang all their own parts — and their harmonies were spot-on. And regarding "hotness," it certainly seems appropriate to the discussion. These women were sex symbols 20 years ago, they're now in the 50s range and have maintained their sex appeal. Good for them. I know I enjoyed being around it.
That Hoffs and Matthew Sweet record was horrible. And I really like Sweet. I wanted to like it, and it was horrible.
Well, you're young, Phil, and as such have probably only heard those Sweet/Hoffs tunes on commercials. I mean, really, how can you delineate what constitutes a good cover version if you only have a glancing experience with the original? Leave that sort of stuff to the experts (read: old guys). Nostalgia is a very powerful emotion, and there are some of us — oldsters, I know — who get nostalgic over things that happened before Phish. Hey man, they broke up. It's OK.
Phish is coming back, man! You see the recent Trey and Tom Marshall interviews?!!? It's practically a done deal. See you in Limestone in '09!
Eric, the Hoffs/Sweet disc sucked, and big time. I remember seeing Sweet in his prime, at a club in Clearwater in the mid 90's. At the time he was supporting the best thing he's done, the "Girlfriend" lp. I don't remember much, but I do remember that no one in the room looked over 40, so I assume you weren't in there ;) I understand that nostalgia can be strong, but you might want to put down the Bangles albums and start listening to something current. Maybe you and Wade can spend the weekend checking out the My Morning Jacket back catalog and start getting up to speed, or are you waiting to see if the AARP magazine does a concise write up (in large print) you can check out first? By the way, I just threw the disc on for a minute, it REALLY sucks. But, you might want to check out the new M. Ward album, as that would be right up your alley.
Wow. The convention circuit. The Bangles have truly made it. (And so have you, Dean of Local Music Critics!) Don't forget to plug their August 18 appearance at the 63rd Annual Workers' Compensation Conference at the Orlando World Center Marriott. Plenty of swag their too.
Rabi: Unless you sign in at the front desk and leave two forms of identification, that last comment will be attributed to me.
phil, i think rabi is gonna get to keep that one. if he shows up to claim it, i won't let him in the front door.
I agree, the Hoffs/Sweet disc sucked. The only worthwhile track being The Zombies' "Care of Cell 44," but even that lacked a certain energy. It just felt like a couple local singer/songwriters doing the covers thing. On the beach, for example. ;-)
I'm only dissing that one writer for behaving like a rank amateur, not the entire publication, especially now that it has wisely placed our one-time colleague up near top of the masthead where he belongs.
well, i don't like that one writer either; and as a whole, the rag sucks, but thats opinion. i'm not saying it might not have a few redeeming qualities, but as a whole...
I find REAX to be extremely vulgar! Why do that have to use such horrid language? I guess when the only music you cover is barbaric strangulations, potty mouth words are the most appropriate. I dropped my nephew off at one of their so-called "shows," and let's put it this way: Andrew was doing his Fatimas at church that Sunday! As for Mr. Snider's account of the Bangles, I am so excited to see this all-girl group get the attention they deserve. Did they happen to regale you with "Walkin' on Sunshine"? Keep up the good work!
As keyboardist for the Tomboys, I was part of the LA club scene in the late eighties. At the time I was appalled by the Bangles - playing to tape, with a guy keyboard player completely offstage no less. Vicki and Debbi were great people - Suzanna, OTOH, seemed to feel she was above it all somehow. Nice to see she got rid of some of that Groucho Marx mustache she had. Hope she finally learned both of her guitar chords. Their harmonies may be real, but that's about it.
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