Just a couple nights before a headline show, as a nugaze scuzz-rock icon–a headlining set at Drom in Manhattan’s East Village–the pink-haired downtown sex symbol Suzy Clue was at a friend’s apartment on the Lower East Side, playing guitar and relaxing.
Late into the night, she began the walk north home with her friend Avery. As they passed Nolita Pizza near St. Marks Place, a group of around ten kids accosted the pair. One of the group pulled a knife on Avery–they were being mugged. When Suzy balked and demanded a stop to the theft, the kids began wailing on her, beating her in the face and body, while they held the knife on Avery. The robbers took everything the two had on them, including their phones and all their cash.
Suzy was left with burst capillaries in her right eye, two black eyes, and some troubling symptoms–including hearing loss and lingering head pain; hopefully both are temporary. She felt like she had no choice but to cancel the show at Drom. Having to deal with cops, victim’s services, and hospital bills would leave most people demoralized.
She caught up with VFILES a few weeks later, after having played a blown-out headlining show at Baby’s All Right.
“I think because it happened right before my show, it feels symbolic to me,” she told us. “So I just want to make it known that I’m not gonna let anything stop me.”