Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Nici Peper. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Nici, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Crazy stuff happening is almost as certain as death and taxes – it’s technically “unexpected” but something unexpected happening is to be expected and so can you share a crazy story with our readers
A couple years ago, after a show, I was approached by two men who said they worked for the audio company that ran sound for all the big shows like Taylor Swift. They got my contact info but I didn’t think much further about it. A few weeks later, I got a phone call from one of them. He asked what I was doing, which wasn’t much, and he asked if I wanted to fly out to Vegas to meet the owner of the company. He told me to bring my guitar and nice clothes.
I dropped everything and jumped on the flight he paid for. On the way there, I sat next to a guy and we talked about what I was doing. He was worried for me. When we got off, we stopped by a tourist shop and he bought me a pen with a big flat diamond on top and showed me how to use it as self defense if I needed it, though I didn’t think I would. Both men had talked about their wives and families.
Heading down an escalator, I saw a man dressed in a suit with my name on a lit up sign and I got goose bumps. Could this be real?? I followed him out to a limousine where one of the men was waiting with champagne. All the way to the MGM Grand, he talked about the owne, how talented I was, how this is a huge opportunity to be “my big break”. I followed him through the casino and up the elevator to the suite at the very top. It was beautiful- floor to ceiling windows, a grand piano, a winding staircase. He led me to a huge bathroom and told me to take a shower and clean up. When I locked the door, he banged on it and said he would be needing to get in there but I locked it anyway because the shower door was glass. This seemed to make him angry. He pulled at my clothes taking my shirt off and telling me to change. I was getting scared about what I had gotten myself into but when I snapped at him, he backed off. That night, I met the owner. He was nice enough but clearly not interested in who I was or what I was doing there. We followed him around for hours while he gambled thousands of dollars like it was nothing. I tried to stay light but watchful.
We got back to the hotel and the man told me to grab my guitar and go play for the owner. When I knocked, he told me to go away because he had to get up early. That’s when I knew for sure this wasn’t what I was told it would be.
As i was Putting my guitar away, the man came out in a robe saying I’d have to sleep with him because the other bedrooms were taken. I said no, that I’d sleep on the couch. He told me to give him a massage – it was the least I could do for what he was doing for me. He said “How do you think Taylor Swift got famous?” He said it would just be the two of us the following day because the other two guys had to work. I could feel a panic attack coming on. I went to the other guy’s bedroom. He had been quiet and respectful towards me and I felt he was my safest bet for help. He let me in and I explained what was going on. He got angry and said the guy had acted like I was just here as his date. He let me sleep on the other twin bed in his room. Overlooking the Vegas skyline, I quietly cried myself to sleep. I got up early with the other two men, locked myself in the bathroom and called my mom. She prayed with me on the phone and then I grabbed my guitar. Quickly, I left a note saying “If that’s how people get famous, I guess I’m not going to be.”
The valet looked at my tear stained face and guitar. It felt like he already knew what happened. He helped me grab a cab for the airport and said softly “Hope to see your name in lights the next time you come back.”
I got home safely but shaken up. It isn’t a joke when it’s been said that there’s a dark side to the music business. I learned a lot that weekend and am grateful I was able to get myself out of that situation. Not everyone is so lucky.
Nici, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I am a songwriter, singer, and guitarist who has been playing professionally for a little over ten years. I get a lot of inspiration from Greats such as Stevie Nicks, Janis Joplin, Bonnie Raitt, and Eva Cassidy.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
I was once flown out to Vegas under the impression I was supposed to play for some influential people. They were staying in the top suite of the MGM Grand. It turned out that it was all a lie and was asked to at least “give him a massage for all he’s done for me”. Thankfully, I was able to get myself home before anything else happened.
We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.
I started out playing at an open mic downtown Hudson, WI. The owner liked my sound and hired me for a weekly gig. Unfortunately, I didn’t know very much music- mostly early attemps at originals- but I agreed anyway thinking I could always repeat songs til I learned more. The first night, a drunk lady- the Midwest kick boxing champion – chewed me out for not knowing many cover songs which made me cry, go home, and practice. I now play 70% covers and can play to just about any crowd.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.nicipepermusic.com
- Instagram: NiciPeper
- Facebook: NiciPeper