The drummer of the legendary rock and roll band The Go-Gos is in Pensacola this weekend as a guest at Pensacon. WUWF’s Bob Barrett spoke with Gina Schock.
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It took 15 years but in 2021, The Go-Gos were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The band grew out of LA’s punk scene in the late 1970s and went on to become the first all-female band to have the No. 1 album in the US. That was their debut “Beauty and the Beat." The beat was provided by Gina Schock, who joined the band in 1979 and has performed on every Go-Gos album. Schock recently published a book of original photographs and stories called “Made In Hollywood: All Access with the Go-Go’s." I spoke with Gina and congratulated her on getting into the Hall of Fame.
Gina Schock:
Thank you. It never goes old to hear it. I mean, we had sort of given up on it. And then when it actually happens to you, you're like, oh, my God, and I'm glad we're in this club. But you know what? If it wouldn't have happened, we'd still be the same. We'd still be playing the way we do and still be the same band. But it is nice to be recognized in that way, let’s face it.
Bob Barrett:
Getting into the Hall of Fame was something the fans really wanted. Did the fans want it more than the band?
Schock:
Maybe it was a 50-50, even thing there because I'll tell you, yeah, the fans really did want it. You're right. And of course, I know every band says this, that they have the best fans, but I think our fans are pretty awesome. They're very loyal. Very loyal. So I feel very lucky. I mean, I just feel lucky all the way around of the incredible career I've had. And the band, The Go Gos, has been so good to me. I am just in a forever feeling of gratitude for everything.
Barrett:
Going back to the early days, how does a kid from Baltimore get into the LA punk scene?
Schock:
Uh, you put everything you own in the back of your father's pickup truck, grab your best friend from high school, and drive across the country seeking fame and fortune.
Barrett:
Well done. Well done.
Schock:
And also, when you're young, when you're 21 years old, you think anything is possible. And I still believe anything is possible if you put your mind to it. I still think you can achieve your dreams. I'm the example that dreams can come true. Sounds hokey, but it's true. And since my first concert of seeing Zeppelin open for The Who, I knew what I wanted to do, and that was being up on that stage. And every dime that I made of my allowance was spent on concerts that were in Baltimore or Cream Magazine or Rolling Stone, any kind of magazines that had to do with music. Any record that came out, I bought immediately. Any British import — because I especially love British music. I was there. I was just enamored with the whole thing and wanted to make it my life. And it was what all my dreams and hopes were all based on. Got to make it.
Barrett:
Well, talking about British music, you guys in the early days had a relationship with the band, some UK bands, Madness and The Specials. What was that relationship like and that tour you ended up taking to the UK?
Schock:
Well, we were the house band at The Whiskey and The Roxy for a year or so. Any band that would come into town, we'd be the opener for whoever was headlining The Roxy or The Whiskey. And Madness came in and they played, and we all fell in love. And immediately got British boyfriends. And they went back and told The Specials, who were coming over, wow, you got to check this band out. These five girls are incredible. And so they came over and then we were opening for them. And when they got back to the UK, the two bands got together and talked to their management about bringing the Go Gos over, which they worked out with our manager, Ginger, at the time. And before you know it, we were on a flight. Freddie Laker was the airline back then. It was a super-budget airline. Freddie Laker. We're all on that flight heading to the UK, getting ready to open for Madness, getting ready to open for The Specials for a month. We played a month with each band, and then in the middle, we sort of did our own shows in and around London.
Barrett:
And you didn't even have a record deal then, did you?
Schock:
No, we didn't. But we believed that. And our manager, Ginger, blessed her. She hocked a bunch of stuff to get money to get us on that flight. I mean, we were really poor. Bob, we were so poor.
Barrett:
When did you know? Was there a moment when you all looked at each other and said, 'hey, this is going to work. We can make a living doing this?'
Schock:
I don't know. I always felt that — always believed that. I don't know the exact moment. There were so many, a-ha, moments when you're getting ready when you're walking on stage at Madison Square Garden. We've done it. We've made it. It's happening. When you're walking on stage at the Hollywood Bowl. Yeah, it's happening. We've made it. When you sign that first record deal — woo! Finally, we've done it. So many moments like that in my life.
Barrett:
How many doors do you think you guys open for other women in rock and roll?
Schock:
I'd like to think that we busted down many doors for other women. We were fearless. It was us against the world. And every time we got a no from a (record) label, it made us work even harder to prove them wrong. That just because we're women. What the hell is that about? What do you mean? You won’t sign us because we're women? Close your eyes and listen. What are you hearing? Do you like what you hear? That's what it's about. I don't get it. They're all about making money. That's the bottom line. And we're about art. We're about doing what we love to do and creating music that we're satisfied with and that make people happy and want to hear it more and more and affect them in a positive way.
Barrett:
Well, you've been making music for so long. When did you start getting interested in photography?
Schock:
Oh, jeez. I've always been interested in photography because, I mean, even when I was a kid going to see concerts at the Baltimore Civic Center, I was always bringing my little stupid Instamatic with me and taking crappy-ass photos. But I loved it. I always wanted to save those moments because they were so important to me. Even when I was driving across country, I brought my Instamatic. I was taking photos. They're pretty horrible, but I was still taking them anyway. And some of them are in the book, actually. And then when I got more money, I just bought a Canon AE-1 and started getting serious about it. And then I got into Polaroids for a while. But I was always a very visual person, Bob. You know, most of the art in my house is all photography. It speaks to me. I love it and it pulls me to it. And I want to take photographs, take photographs of my surroundings, things that are important to me.
Barrett:
You mentioned your book. How big a time span of those photographs does that pull from?
Schock:
That's from 1977, 78 up to when we were getting nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. And, up until we were actually doing our documentary.
Barrett:
So that you've got everything in there?
Schock:
I do, I think so. I think I covered it. And initially, this book was just going to be photos, but the publisher came to me and said, 'hey, how do you feel about giving us some text?' And I was like, I don't know that I'm capable of writing. I'm not an author. I can write short stories and they become songs. But I don't know that I could write enough to have a book. But anyway, as I started looking at the photos, I thought I'll give it a try. And it just poured out. It became very easy. And I knew that I was going to be able to accompany the photographs with text. So that made it even better. Because you look at a photo and I got the story right there next to it, or what was still happening at that moment, or what was happening at that particular time in the history of the band.
Barrett:
You mentioned the documentary, and it was a fabulous documentary. Did the band know that it was going? I mean, did you plan on being that open with everything?
Schock:
I don't know. It's no big deal to us. It's just who we are, the way we are. We're just typical five young ladies growing up. (both laugh) Growing up being a rock star. Yeah. And you know what? That's not even the half of it. What you're seeing is just scratching the surface. There's so much more. It's so complex. And how do you cover everything? You do your best. Uh, there could be a part two, there could be part three, part four. It just goes on and on. There's a lot to this band, to the five members. There's a lot to life. Everybody has a lot to tell about their life experience.
Barrett:
Well, we're looking forward to seeing you at Pensacon. How often do you get out and just meet the fans like this?
Schock:
Well, you know what? I just started doing this, and I got to tell you, I am really loving it. I'm having a ball. It's one thing to stand on stage and feel that appreciation. When people are clapping and dancing and screaming and carrying on, that's great. But when you are face to face, somebody's five feet away from you and telling you what an impression you have made on them, how you saved them when they thought they were going to kill themselves, or crazy things like that — it really takes my breath away sometimes, you know, the stories. Most of the time, though, people are just so happy to be up close and personal. And I'm a very personable person. I talk to everybody. And like I said, I'm very grateful that they're fans, that they love us, that they appreciate what I do as an individual and what my band, the impression we've left on them. So it's really nice to meet people on that level. It's a whole different thing, and I like it.
Barrett:
Everybody loves the drummer. Come on.
Schock:
Of course. Who's keeping it together here? Bob — always the drummer.
Barrett:
I understand you've got the beat. Sorry, I had to.
Schock:
I know. Well, this is true, and I know that you know this. Everybody has a gift. And if you follow whatever that is, whatever is motivating you, whatever's making you want to get up every day, once you reach one goal, you'll discover more things about yourself, more things you'll have, more capabilities that you didn't even realize. It's like me, I started out, I was a drummer, but then I wanted to write songs, so I became a songwriter. Then I wanted to be a producer, so I produce. Then I want to be a photographer, and then I want to have photo exhibitions and I want to have book signings. I write a book. You're capable of anything if you put your mind to it. I really believe that. I really do.
Barrett:
Well, one question I have to ask: Will we see the Go Gos on stage again?
Schock:
I hope so. If it was up to me, I'd be on stage right now with the band. I love the band and always want to play with the Go Gos. And hopefully, we'll get back. Everybody's busy doing different things, Bob. Jane just got married, so she's in marital bliss, and Kathy's moving to England and she'll be doing that all year. Belinda is doing her thing. She's out doing England. She's doing really well. And then Charlotte is probably, uh, writing, if I know Charlotte. We all have separate lives. We're grown-ups now. We're not just a pack of kids running around. So we certainly have our individual needs and things that we all do to satisfy us. But you know what? At the end of the day, the Go Gos will always be number one for me. This band has given me everything! It's allowed me to follow all the dreams I've had and explore so much in this world, travel all over the world, meet all kinds of people. The Go Gos has been my real education, and what an education. What a way to go.
Barrett:
Absolutely.
Schock:
Anyway, it was a pleasure talking with you, darlin’, and hopefully I'll see you there.
Gina Schock is an author, photographer and drummer for the legendary band The Go Gos. She will be a guest this weekend at Pensacon 2023.
