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Spin (US)
April 2003


photo: Linda Matlow

REAL LIFE ROCK TALES

This month: Tori Amos gets strip-searched in Germany

As told to Victoria DeSilverio
Illustration by Takeshi Miyazawa




transcript

May 1991. I was in Europe touring for Little Earthquakes.

My girlfriend and I had to drive from Holland to Germany. We agreed to leave our Amsterdam "antics" behind.

I was nervous about Germany. Border patrols were far less liberal than they are now.

Border patrol said, "You were in Holland? I bet you enjoyed Amsterdam!"

In came die hunde!

She said, "American fräulein know how to make party!"

They pulled the car into this X-ray shed, and then they checked all of my orifices. I had no idea why. Suddenly...

My girlfriend said, "Okay, it's me! I'm the one you want! It's in my boot!"

Border patrol said, "We are not satisfied. We shine light in your pupils to see if you lie and then open your stomachs and look for balloons!"

I tried to tell him I was totally clean, but I was so nervous. I hadn't broken in America yet, and I had a big U.S. tour coming up. It would have been over for me!

He asked, "What is your name?"

There was something about that guy, I don't know. Maybe it was the moustache...

He asked, "What is your job?"

I said, "I made a record with Phil Collins!!"

He was impressed. "Really??????"

It was true! Well, kind of. One of the singles from my first album, Y Kant Tori Read, was put on the back of a Phil Collins track and sent out to radio stations.

Phil Collins saved my ass!

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