“I was too precious about what I was trying to do live. I have to remind myself onstage to just shut up and play”: Vicki Peterson on the invaluable lessons she learned with The Bangles – and how she stopped worrying about her guitar playing

Singer Vicki Peterson of The Bangles performs onstage during 80's Weekend #7 at Microsoft Theater on January 26, 2019 in Los Angeles, California.

Vicki Peterson's six-string contribution to some of the most enduring ’80s hits cannot be overstated – with irresistible earworms such as Walk Like an Egyptian (1986), Manic Monday (1986), and Eternal Flame (1989) highlighting Peterson's composition-first approach to guitar playing.

As she succinctly puts it, “I try to serve the song. It’s not about flashy playing; it’s more about what makes the song live.”