The Go-Gos

[the_future_modernes]

‘The Go-Go’s’ Review: Showtime Documentary Explores a Hall of Fame Slight

The Go-Go’s aren’t in the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame. It’s a fact repeated quite a few times in Alison Ellwood’s documentary on the titular band, and “The Go-Go’s” doesn’t just lift the veil on the Los Angeles punk band-turned-pop goddesses but also attempts to cast an eye on the misogyny of a music industry that hasn’t given the band their due. “The Go-Go’s” lit the world on fire, and while Ellwood’s documentary might not do the same thing, it’s a great crash course.

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The band members that comprised the original Go-Go’s lineup were teenage girls looking to avoid conforming to the norm. Lead singer Belinda Carlisle was a perky blonde cheerleader who had no problem cutting her hair short and dyeing it black. The core group of bandmembers all saw themselves as misfits, in spite of their looks, and as they navigated a punk landscape that thrived on non-conformity the band soon realized they were at a disadvantage.

As the band recounts their travels to Europe, they found themselves performing in a series of clubs frequented by white supremacists. To hear them tell it, it was a horrifying nightmare of being spit on, berated and ridiculed, not just because they were Americans, but because they were women. Ellwood doesn’t focus overtly on sexism, but leaves it on the margins. Whether being told to bare their breasts at a show or teased up to be beauty queens in their music videos, The Go-Go’s were always aware of how they were sold as sex objects. The lack of respect from the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame almost reinforces that without strictly saying it.

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Of course, the arrival of fame changes everything, and it does take “The Go-Go’s” down a familiar, VH1 “Behind the Music” path. Carlisle and Jane Wiedlin are the most recognizable members of the band, with Charlotte Caffey being credited as songwriter for most of their material. But where “The Go-Go’s” sticks out is in the names you don’t know, like drummer Gina Shock. Shock steals every interview she does with her tough talk and uncompromising attitude. Shock discusses being one of the oft-forgotten members of the band, as drummers often are, but her eventual fallout from the band showcases how much in-fighting was taking place behind the scenes.MORE