Show Notes
For nearly 20 years, Gail Ann Dorsey held down bass and vocals in David Bowie's live band — including singing the Freddie Mercury part in "Under Pressure." Now, 21 years after her last solo album, she's releasing The Appearance of Life and stepping back to center stage. Gail talks about the terror of being asked to sing "Under Pressure" for the first time, what she's actually thinking about mid-performance when a show is really working, and how it feels to perform Bowie's music now with the Blackstar Symphony — for audiences still carrying his loss. She also opens up about the night she opened solo at The Vogue in Indianapolis before joining Thomas Dolby's band, and what it costs — and gives — to finally walk out as herself. Stage Vault goes behind the curtain of live music: the nerves, the rituals, and the moments that never make it to the setlist. Hosted by Chuck Fields. New episodes every other week. Follow the show so you never miss one. The show ends. The vault opens. Photo of Gail by Jimmy Fontaine. Sponsored by Musicologie – simply delightful music lessons at musicologie.com.
More from Stage Vault
Ricky Nye has spent over 50 years preserving the sound of blues, boogie woogie, and New Orleans piano — playing everywhere from Cincinnati to the legendary Caveau de la Huchette in Paris. On this episode of Stage Vault, Ricky talks reading a room in real time, the nights that turn into unexpected magic, and a personal milestone reshaping how he steps on stage.
Chris Poland, the former Megadeth guitarist behind Nuclear Messiah, sits down with Stage Vault to talk about Black Flame — a sprawling all-star concept album bringing together 36 legends of rock and metal, from William Shatner and Rick Wakeman to Sebastian Bach and Marty Friedman.
Singer-songwriter Steven Keene came up in the Greenwich Village folk clubs that shaped Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie — small rooms, no safety net, a different crowd every night. On this episode of Stage Vault, Keene talks about what it felt like to walk into those rooms before a show, the strange experience of songs arriving to him in the middle of the night, and the difference between performing his own material and the songs of the heroes who raised him. He also shares the one night on stage he still can't shake, and the single moment he'd preserve forever if he could seal it in the vault. Stage Vault goes behind the curtain of live music to capture what audiences never see. New episodes weekly. Photo of Steven Keene courtesy of Photo Impressions. Sponsored by Musicologie – simply delightful music lessons at musicologie.com.
Twenty years into The Shake Ups, husband-and-wife duo Patrick and Savannah O'Connor still get nervous before every show — just not about the things you'd expect. On this episode of Stage Vault, they open up about the night Patrick lost his voice hours before going on, the terrifying first show that turned into one of their best crowds ever, and how playing conventions full of costumed, emotionally invested fans is nothing like a normal club gig. They also talk about their other bands, the Star Wars-inspired Threepios and surf-rock group The Leviathans, and why the same circle of friends keeps finding new projects to build together. The show ends. The vault opens.Sponsored by Musicologie – simply delightful music lessons at musicologie.com.
He wrote the Oscar-winning song from Midnight in Paris — then played it live at the Academy Awards with Hans Zimmer conducting. Gypsy jazz guitarist Stéphane Wrembel joins Stage Vault to talk about that night, the years he spent training in Sinti gypsy camps in France, building the Django à Gogo festival, and why — after 20 years as an instrumentalist — he just sang on record for the first time on Django New Orleans II: Hors-Série. Stage Vault goes behind the curtain of live music: the rituals, the nerves, the transcendence — what musicians think and feel before, during, and after they step on stage. The show ends. The vault opens. Photo: Rob Davidson stagevaultpod.comSponsored by Musicologie — simply delightful music lessons at musicologie.com.