Vicki Peterson, one of the
Bangles’ singers and guitarists, identifies with fans who yelled “sellout” when the ’80s group hit the top of the charts with “Walk Like an Egyptian.” “I completely understand that mentality,” she says. “Now we suck -- I get that. I was doing some questioning of my own at the time.” Back before the all-female L.A. band sold millions of records, before Prince wrote a song for them, and before their other singer and guitarist, Susanna Hoffs, became a sex symbol, the Bangles were a tight power-pop group that had critics drooling for other reasons. “We were the overnight success that was five years in the making,” laughs Peterson. “But things got out of control. We needed a break just to get our individual lives back.”
The Bangles just released Return to Bangleonia, a DVD featuring a 2000 reunion concert (they split up in the late ’80s). The trio -- without original bassist Michael Steele, who retired from music a few years ago -- is back on tour. “We’re working at a much more relaxed pace than we did in the ’80s,” says Peterson. Even though the Bangles recorded an album (Doll Revolution) in 2003, most of their old fans didn’t hear it. The new tour -- which focuses on all the hits -- keeps everyone happy, says Peterson. “When I’m on the road, I don’t worry about the dishes piling up,” she says. “We’ve been Bangling pretty consistently.”
Thu., Aug. 30, 8 p.m.
