Explore every episode of the podcast Stage Vault

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.

On this episode of Stage Vault, Courtney Taylor-Taylor — frontman of The Dandy Warhols — opens up about what actually happens inside a performer during 30+ years of shows: the readiness that never quite becomes autopilot, the physical grind of playing sick or hungover, and the two nights performing with the Oregon Symphony that he calls the most powerful music experience of his career.

He also tells the story of singing "White Light/White Heat" alongside David Bowie at the Meltdown Festival, reflects on what "Bohemian Like You" still feels like 25+ years into playing it live, and talks through Pin Ups — the Dandy Warhols' new covers album, spanning The Cure, The Clash, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, and Violent Femmes — and what it means to inhabit someone else's song onstage.

Photo by Nicole Nodland

Stage Vault is a podcast about the interior experience of live performance: not the catalogue, not the career — what's actually happening inside an artist that the audience never sees.

New episodes every two weeks. The show ends. The vault opens.

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William Lee Golden of The Oak Ridge Boys opens up about more than six decades on stage — the four-part harmony that still gives him chills, the devastating losses the group has endured, and what keeps him singing at 87.

In this conversation, William Lee reflects on the emotional weight of losing longtime bandmates Joe Bonsall and Richard Sterban, how new members Ben James and Aaron Lee McCune stepped in and kept the sound alive, and why singing has always been “a joy, never a job.”

He also shares what it was like performing at Live Aid with David Bowie, the magic of recording family albums with his sons and grandchildren during the pandemic, and the deeply personal story behind his autobiography.

If you love classic country, gospel harmony, or stories about resilience and legacy on stage, this episode is for you.

New album *Buried Treasures* coming Fall 2026.

Photo credit: Brandon Wood/IndieBlingStage Vault is a video podcast about the interior experience of live musical performance — what artists think, feel, and prepare in the moments before they step on stage.

Follow Stage Vault for more conversations with legendary performers.

#TheOakRidgeBoys #WilliamLeeGolden

Stage Vault — The show ends. The vault opens.

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TOTO’s Dennis Atlas opens the vault on the most intense chapter of his career so far.

Just five weeks after getting the call (while ordering pizza in Iowa), he walked onstage in Luxembourg in front of 20,000 people as the newest member of TOTO. At the same time he was writing and releasing his deeply personal solo album PRINCIPLE — largely created in hotel rooms and on tour buses between shows.

In this conversation we go inside:

• The dual reality of TOTO tours + solo album

• The hour before showtime

• What it takes mentally and emotionally to hold your own in a band with 50 years of history

• The first notes of that Luxembourg debut

• Bringing PRINCIPLE songs to the stage

• What the stage gives that nothing else can

A must-listen for anyone who loves live music, classic rock, or the human side of performing.

Sponsored by Musicologie – simply delightful music lessons at ⁠⁠⁠⁠musicologie.com⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Carmine Appice joins Stage Vault for a candid conversation about music, faith, and more than six decades behind the kit.

In this episode:

• Carmine shares the story behind three original songs he wrote after a life-changing experience — songs he has never performed or released before. One of them (“Game Changer”) plays in full while he listens and reacts on camera.

• The making of his current blues album, Temple of Blues II.

• His pre-show mental routine and the funny Rod Stewart story about practicing single-stroke rolls.

• What being on stage still gives him at 79.

• The legendary Isle of Wight 1970 show in front of 600,000 people and the moment the entire crowd stood up like a wave.

• The Ed Sullivan appearance that changed everything for Vanilla Fudge.

Carmine Appice has played with Vanilla Fudge, Cactus, Beck Bogert & Appice, and Rod Stewart. He’s still active with Cactus All-Stars and his Rod Stewart tribute project.

Temple of Blues II is available now: https://cleorecs.com/products/cactus-temple-of-blues-ii-all-stars-cd

Photo by Vito GeraciListen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or watch the full video on YouTube.

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TIFFANY joins Stage Vault for a candid conversation about what it really feels like to walk on stage after 40 years in the business.

In this episode we explore:

• Her pre-show rituals — vocal stretching, meditation, coffee when energy is low, and the beautiful chaos of her sister putting on her earrings while her hair and makeup artist tries to work around her

• The “we’ll make it work” philosophy that has carried her through every variable on the road — weather, backline issues, late nights, early mornings, and back-to-back shows

• How Stranger Things shifted everything: younger fans’ eyes lighting up, emotional family memories flooding back, and a powerful reconnection with 80s nostalgia

• Her new cookbook Pop Life and why reworking 80s foods felt like the perfect time to tell her story

• Why she doesn’t have one single favorite show — the next one is always the one she’s most excited for

TIFFANY has been performing since she was nine, opening for legends like Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Waylon Jennings, and later touring with New Kids on the Block. Through it all she has stayed present, adaptable, and deeply connected to the audience right in front of her.

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or watch the full video conversation on YouTube.

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TIFFANY

🔥 POPLIFE: The Ultimate 80s Kitchen Encore: https://www.amazon.com/Pop-Life-Ultimate-Kitchen-Encore/dp/1968919139/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0

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Sponsored by Musicologie – simply delightful music lessons at ⁠⁠⁠musicologie.com⁠⁠⁠.

FOREIGNER guitarist Bruce Watson joins Stage Vault to explore the interior world of live performance. From pre-show rituals and calibrating energy for arena crowds to the emotional weight of playing iconic songs and the special Lou Gramm reunion, this conversation lives in The Before, The During, and The Weight.

Includes Bruce’s personal Vault memory: the meaningful first wink from Mick Jones onstage. Warm, candid, and full of insight for any live music fan.

Stage Vault — The show ends. The vault opens.

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Gracee Shriver joins Stage Vault to explore the real feelings behind live performance — pre-show mindset, the magic (and nerves) of stepping on stage, reading the room, and her standout moments including The Voice blind audition and her dream CMA Fest experience.

We also talk about bringing her bold new sound from the Pretty Psycho EP (out June 26) and single "Missed the Boat" to the stage. Warm, honest, and full of heart — exactly what Stage Vault is built for.

The show ends. The vault opens.

Follow Stage Vault for more conversations with touring artists about life on stage. @stagevaultpod

Sponsored by Musicologie – simply delightful music lessons at ⁠⁠musicologie.com⁠⁠.

David Bellamy joins Stage Vault for a candid conversation about life on stage with his brother Howard. Over 7,000 shows, headlining the Ryman in their 50th anniversary year, the night he crawled under a rogue elephant with his guitar, Conway Twitty in the wings, and the surprise appearance by Lynn Anderson — David shares the real moments that still live inside him.

From pre-show bus chaos to the deafening sound of Indian crowds singing every word back, this is the interior experience of a lifelong touring musician.

The show ends. The vault opens.

Episode timestamps and full video available on YouTube @stagevaultpod

Follow Stage Vault for candid conversations with the artists who’ve lived the stage life.

Sponsored by Musicologie – simply delightful music lessons at ⁠⁠musicologie.com⁠⁠.

Colin Blunstone of The Zombies joins Stage Vault to explore the interior world of live performance.

From the extra responsibility of solo tours to the quiet hour he protects before every show, Colin shares his vocal warm-up routine, early Battle of the Bands memories, and why high keys still require care six decades later.

He closes with the one moment he would preserve forever: the 2019 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction — a night that felt even sweeter after the long wait.

Chapters

00:00 Intro 00:10 Welcome Colin Blunstone 00:35 Solo shows vs The Zombies 01:55 Last 30 minutes before stage 03:35 Vocal exercises & protecting the voice 05:15 Watford Town Hall 1964 13:10 Most vivid memories 16:19 Vault Question: Rock Hall Induction Photo (landscape): Keith WaldegravePhoto (square): Davis-ANL-REX-Shutterstock (1794574a)The Zombies Pop Group 1964

The show ends. The vault opens.

Episode timestamps and full video available on YouTube @stagevaultpod

Follow Stage Vault for candid conversations with the artists who’ve lived the stage life.

Sponsored by Musicologie – simply delightful music lessons at ⁠musicologie.com⁠.

Collective Soul bassist Will Turpin joins Chuck for a warm, unhurried conversation about the real interior life of the stage.

From conserving energy in a hotel room to bouncing in the backstage party box, riding the wave of audience connection, and the surreal weight of family legacy moments — including the night his son Tristan first stepped on stage with the band. Will also reflects on Woodstock, studio-to-stage lessons, and what it means to keep showing up night after night.

Timestamps:00:00 – Sponsor & Intro

00:16 – Welcome to Stage Vault

01:35 – Pre-show day: Hotel room incubation & conserving energy

02:57 – Backstage rituals & the Party Box

03:50 – Studio life vs. live energy exchange

05:21 – Reading the audience & the energy wave

06:15 – New music plans (“Eye on You” & more)

06:33 – How a fresh song feels ready

06:58 – Recording “Here to Eternity” at Elvis’s Palm Springs estate

09:05 – As the bassist: What I listen for on stage

10:07 – Woodstock ’94 memories (nearly 500,000 people)

12:10 – The only time I still get nervous

13:38 – Nights that hit different: Tributes to lost friends

14:47 – The “Give Me a Word” documentary

17:07 – Vault Question: One moment sealed forever

18:02 – Outro & thanks

Every episode ends with the same question: If you could preserve one moment from your life on stage forever, what would it be?

The show ends. The vault opens.Stage Vault — behind the curtain, inside the legend.

New episodes weekly. Subscribe and never miss what artists carry with them before they step into the lights.

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Thomas Dolby sits down on Stage Vault for a warm and insightful conversation.

From his unforgettable solo opening at The Vogue in Indianapolis, reuniting the Lost Toy People after nearly 40 years, the chaos of gear failures (and throwing T-shirts into the crowd), to playing with David Bowie at Live Aid, Thomas shares stories from a legendary career in music.

A must-listen for fans of 80s new wave, synthpop, and great live music storytelling.

Sponsored by Musicologie – simply delightful music lessons at ⁠⁠musicologie.com⁠⁠.

Jay Jay French (Twisted Sister) opens the Vault: 50+ years, 9,000 shows, the real story behind the armor, the 2008 no-makeup show, and why Twisted Sister is bigger than any one member. A powerful conversation about legacy, muscle memory, and the one night that made it all worth it.

00:00 Welcome to the Vault – Jay Jay French (Twisted Sister)

02:40 Pre-Show Rituals & Muscle Memory After 9,000 Shows

05:15 Bar Band Years: Rejection by Day, Thousands by Night

11:40 The Legendary 2008 Holland Helicopter Show (No Makeup, No Costumes)

15:30 Playing “We’re Not Gonna Take It” to 50,000 People

17:10 Does It Become Your Identity After Five Decades?

19:10 Picking the Guitars Back Up After Monterrey

21:50 Preparing for Shows Now vs 1984

23:40 The New Chapter with Sebastian Bach

25:10 Vault Close: The One Night That Justified Every Sacrifice

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Kansas frontman Ronnie Platt joins the Vault! From drilling for perfection to the rush of 10,000 fans singing every word, discover what keeps classic rock alive on stage. Powerful stories and the one memory he’d preserve forever.

0:00 Intro

0:16 Welcome to Stage Vault

0:55 Show Day Routine & Rehearsal Obsession

3:36 30 Minutes Before Showtime

5:54 Carry On Wayward Son & SNL

7:15 “I Get to Watch the Audience Turn 18 Again”

10:55 When Things Go Wrong on Stage

14:44 Montreal — Dust in the Wind Magic

18:44 The Vault Question

19:15 Outro

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Lawrence Gowan of Styx joins Stage Vault for an inspiring conversation on show-day rituals, backstage humor, riding the audience wave, and why a great live performance is the highest form of entertainment. He shares how Styx keeps classics fresh and answers the Vault question with a powerful memory from his parents’ basement.

0:00 Intro

0:16 Welcome to the Vault

1:01 Show Day Routine

3:20 Exercise & Tai Chi

4:57 Fresh Air & Pre-Show Mindset

5:16 Backstage Singing & Bluegrass Renegade

8:26 Build and Destroy + Audience Wave

10:31 Stiff Audiences & Catalog Anchors

14:24 Dali Painting Analogy & "It's Never the Same Twice"

17:21 Memorable Shows (London Palladium & Des Moines)

22:52 The Vault Question

24:30 Outro

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Every night, before the lights go down, something happens. Something the crowd never sees.Stage Vault is a new video podcast about the interior experience of live performance — what musicians think, feel, and do in the hours and moments before they walk on stage.New episodes starting May 6, 2026.Find us:YouTube: @stagevaultpodApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stage-vault/id1698861800Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2t7otHVNKIyjL11FPMvHi3?si=glk-3NC1SGq0uU5blyo1TwInstagram: @stagevaultpodWebsite: StageVaultPod.com