Gina Schock - Made In Hollywood: All Access with the Go-Go’s

Text copyright 2021 by Gina Schock

Cover design by Douglas Brian Martin

Cover copyright 2021 by Hachette Book Group, Inc.

Front cover photograph 1982 Ginger Canzoneri

Back cover photograph courtesy of Brendon McNichol

Hachette Book Group supports the right to free expression and the value of copyright. The purpose of copyright is to encourage writers and artists to produce the creative works that enrich our culture.

The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book without permission is a theft of the authors intellectual property. If you would like permission to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), please contact permissions@hbgusa.com. Thank you for your support of the authors rights.

Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers

Hachette Book Group

1290 Avenue of the Americas

New York, NY 10104

www.hachettebookgroup.com

www.blackdogandleventhal.com

First edition: October 2021

Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers is an imprint of Perseus Books, LLC, a subsidiary of Hachette Book Group, Inc. The Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers name and logo are trademarks of Hachette Book Group, Inc. The publisher is not responsible for websites (or their content) that are not owned by the publisher.

The Hachette Speakers Bureau provides a wide range of authors for speaking events. To find out more, go to www.HachetteSpeakersBureau.com or call (866) 376-6591.

(Left) poster courtesy of R. Black, (Right) poster Cliff Galbraith.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021930568

ISBNs: 978-0-7624-7497-4 (hardcover), 978-0-7624-7498-1 (ebook), 978-1-5491-3569-9 (audio download), 978-0-7624-7911-5 (signed edition)

E3-20210929-JV-NF-ORI

To my mother, June; my father, John; and my brother, Johnny, I dedicate this book.

My grandparents Jean and Mitch, Anna and Duke.

The rest of my blood family and my extended family, too many names to mention, but I believe you know who you are.

Penny, my little angel and constant companion.

Moe, Dottie, Walter, Ike, Ethel, Noodles, Floyd, and Fritz, never forgotten.

Behind the band, most of the time, sits the drummer. She sits on a stool, adjustable and padded, commonly referred to as the throne. Maybe thats because, really, the drummer rules the band. The drummer is the one who determines the tempo of the songs. Sometimes she may have to imperceptibly pull back when its going a little too fast or push the players to speed up if its dragging. You best follow alongdo as your drummer dictatesor else its on you, for making things sound like a mess. The drummer is the one responsible for the dynamics of the song, the one who makes sure the intensity builds or that the sound is pulled back, so that the audience can focus clearly on the vocals. The drummer cues the long, drawn-out endings that stop on a beat after a wild, peaking roar of instruments. The drummer commands the energy: her fills, rolls, and power infuse the song. The drummer, if its Gina Schock, also gives the songs identifiable hooksinstantly recognizable, the heartbeat and life-force of a track.

Besides ruling the band, only the drummer gets to have the view from the throne. It must be something to seethe whole band is in sight, their glorious backsides imperishably imprinted upon her mind. A glance to either side and she will see how the crew is doing, attentive and ready to take care of any problems. She can see the monitor mixer clearly, as well as the sound board up ahead in the midst of the audience. And she sees the entirety of the crowdthe ones smashed at the front of the stage, close enough to make eye contact, all the way back to the fans dancing in the bleachers. She takes in the long-range scenery of the venue and can find in an instant the close-ups of all her bandmates facial expressions. Nobody except the drummer gets this panoramic, zooming in, zooming out view from the throne. Im telling you all this to underscore a truth at the core of this book: It is no surprise and its no accident that Gina has a perspective unlike anyone else in the band.

I could tell you stories, lots of stories, from my point of view. Any of the Go-Gos can do that. But only Gina can tell you her stories and show you , actually show you, what she was seeing. Her perspective manifested in photographs from the very beginning, when she joined the Go-Gos. Gina whipped the potential of the band into straight-up contenders for everything that followed and documented the whole ride. Its one thing to casually take pictures; its another thing altogether when the photographer is one of you. We trusted her and let her rule and direct us, just like she did from the throne behind the drums. The Go-Gos, always ready to laugh with one another or at one another, were happy to act out Ginas vision or scenario for what would make artful Polaroids or a well-composed shot. She kept her favorites and brought them on the road, and time and time again she pulled them out so we could all gather around and collapse in gales of laughter at the moments she had captured.

There is a determination and pureness to Ginas focus. Ive seen it, not only in her musicianship and songwriting but also in her life and in her judgment as to what is important to her. All the elements that make her a great drummer are evident when you know her: a methodical and precise organization for the external details that make up her day-to-dayand the explosive and deep emotion she bestows on her loved ones. Deciding to create this book was a task she undertook with the same passion and work ethic she has called on throughout her career. It has been compiled, from inspiration to completion, with the same thoughtfulness and tangible effort she devotes to friendships and favorite causes. And while the pages might tell the stories of her band, from the anecdotes of the friends she has made along the way to her own recollections, its the photos, from behind the scenes, that tell the most evocative accounts.

Gina sets her seat low and her cymbals highevery crash is a reach for the sky. I used to think it was for sight lines, so everyone could get a clear view of her as she propelled the Go-Gos through countless delirious concerts. One day at sound check I went and sat behind her kit and realized this setup enhanced her vision. The configuration is as purposeful and thought-out as any construct she undertakes; it gives her exactly what she needs to keep the energy flowing between the kit, the band, and the fans. On behalf of Gina, I invite you to go forward in these pages, knowing that you are now part of the gang, gathering around to enjoy the surprises and stories that the pictures tell.