Photo by Arnold Neimanis

Our interview with Schock was delayed a bit, due to an arm injury she suffered recently. Surgery was required. On the mend, she generously shared her time with us and served up thoughts on the band, the Hall of Fame induction and her book.

Photo by Relah Eckstein

POP CULTURE CLASSICS:
How's the arm doing?

GINA SCHOCK:
Oh, fuck man, right after I talk to you, I'm going to my first hand therapy. You know man, I just want it to get better, so I can do these six or seven shows we have lined up. I think it's going to be March or April. We had to postpone everything, because of Covid. And so now we scheduled everything to happen in the next couple months.

So I'm just hoping and praying that my hand will be better. If it's not, Clem Burke [Blondie] is already signed up to do it. And Clem's fuckin' awesome. So I'm not worried. But obviously, I'd really like to do the shows [laughs]. So I'm going to try my best.

PCC:
Congratulations on the induction to the Hall of Fame. That honor was so overdue. Was it frustrating waiting for that acknowledgment?

SCHOCK:
You know what? It's been a long time coming. And we had sort of given up or were like "Hell's Bells, we don't even care anymore." But then when it really happened, it was kind of great. [Laughs] I mean standing up in front of that crowd of our peers, being acknowledged in that way, it was really cool.

It was something that, like I said, we had really given up on, didn't care so much, and then we heard we were nominated and then when we actually found that we were really going to be inducted, it was like, "Wow, that is kind of cool!" And standing up there in front of all those people was so exciting. It really was.

PCC:
The band sounded great that night. But was it a bit intimidating playing, for that crowd?

SCHOCK:
You bet. Christ, I felt like I was going to have... Well, I was having a panic attack the entire time. I honestly felt like I was going to pass out. When I got up there and sat on that drum kit, we had to do three songs, I was so lightheaded, I thought, "Please don't let me pass out." [Laughs] And I made it through. Wow, it was fucking great. And I'm so pleased that I didn't fall over.

PCC:
Having legends like Carole King and McCartney there that night, Tina Turner being inducted, Drew Barrymore with the "Beauty and Beast" cold cream look as she introduced the band, did it all seem surreal?

SCHOCK:
You bet it did. And I thought her whole little presentation was so good. That was so perfect, wasn't it? So cool. And I loved that Drew was inducting us, because Drew has been a fan of this band since she was a little kid. It's really true. She's been a real fan. And that's kind of neat. It wasn't just somebody who was chosen because of who they are. It was the real deal. It couldn't have been better, as far as I'm concerned.

I hadn't seen Drew in ages, but we talked afterwards. She was like, "I just want to let you guys know that you really did help me through a lot of tough times in my life." And we were like, "Geez!" You hear that sometimes and you don't necessarily believe it. I've had a lot of people tell me that and I'm kind of like, "Maybe they're just saying that as a way of introducing themselves or giving them something to talk about."

And hearing that from Drew made me sort of rethink it and go, "You know what? Maybe they were telling the truth when they were saying that, because Drew doesn't have any reason to say it except that it is the truth." She doesn't need an introduction. She doesn't need something clever to talk about. So yeah, it made me look at that in a whole different light.

I have to say, I'm really proud of this band, what we've accomplished. And the fact that we really did impact people's lives, in a good way, is a wonderful feeling.

PCC:
In the acceptance speech, the band mentioned wanting to advocate for more women to be included in the Hall of Fame. Who do you think are the most glaring snubs at this point? Who would you most like to see inducted?

SCHOCK:
Suzie Quatro. The B-52's. I can think of them right off the bat. But you know what? We're decided, the band, that we're going to sit down and make a list. And then we are going to go after that list with a vengeance. We want to get some more women involved, get them recognized in the way that they need to be. It's way overdue. It's time.

When I was told that night that, "Oh, by the way, Gina, you're only the second female drummer to ever be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame," I went, "You're kidding! Oh, my God, it's another disturbing stat." But yeah, that's the way that organization has been run for many years.

Now they have a new regime in there. And thank Christ. It's about time. So I'm really happy about that. And I think that helped us get in. And I think our documentary was sort of an eye-opener for a lot of people and got them thinking about The Go-Go's, because it told our story so beautifully. It was so fantastic. Alison Ellwood [the film's director] did such a great job. We love that documentary. It told the band's story in a light that we wanted it to be told. We wanted it to be honest. And it was honest. It was everything we hoped it would be. It's funny. It just shows us in the light that we wanted to be.

PCC:
And congratulations on your book, "Made in Hollywood."

Photo by John Stapleton

SCHOCK:
Hey, another thing I'm really proud of. I am proud of my book. It's something that I didn't know I was capable of. I started out just approaching this as a book of photos. That was all this was going to be. And then my publishers asked me if I'd be interested in writing some. And I was like, "I've never written a book. I'm not a writer, in that respect. I can write songs. I write my short little stories, which are called songs. But I don't know about a book."

And the fellow that I was working on this with, he was like, "Gina, let's try this -- Let's take a couple photographs and you write a little something." Well, when I started writing, it just started pouring out. I was like, "I can do this. I can definitely do this." So the book was easy to write, Paul. It was something, like I said, I didn't think I was capable of, but then it came out really easily.

PCC:
That whole process of putting together the book, did that give you a different perspective on the band, the band's history?

SCHOCK:
Well, it made me, once again, take a good, hard look at us and I came out being extremely grateful, being very, very grateful -- all that we've accomplished, of who we are individually and as a band. We've been through a lot... and we're still together. There have been bumpy roads, but once again, we're still together. You know, it really made me appreciate things, really 100 percent, which I haven't done in a very long time. Doing this book changed it all. It really did.

PCC:
Was it difficult to decide which photos to include, what to leave out?

SCHOCK:
You bet. That's been very tough. I could do another book right this minute. There are so many photos that I didn't use. I needed someone to help me. That's why I had to have a partner to help me put this all together. There's no way I was going to do this on my own. I put it off for decades, because I was overwhelmed. When I looked at all my photographs, I said, "How the hell am I going to choose?" Somebody's got to help me. So I got this person, Steve Prigge, and he helped me do it all.

PCC:
Did you consciously view yourself as the band's archivist?

SCHOCK:
No, nah. It just turns out that I am.

PCC:
What had drawn you to photography originally?

SCHOCK:
I've always been drawn to photography, since I was a kid. Looking back on it, I was taking photos when I would go see rock concerts in Baltimore. Any show I went to, would take photos. They were kind of crappy. But it was the best I could do. I could only afford an Instamatic. [Laughs] So that's what I was using. And I was taking photographs when I was on my way out to L.A., when I was driving Dad's pickup truck. I had my little Instamatic and I was taking photos during that period of time, too.

PCC:
The photography just gives you another form of self-expression?

SCHOCK:
You bet.

PCC:
Growing up in Baltimore, when you began playing music, what was the dream? Where did you hope it would take you?

From "Made in Hollywood," Photo by Gina Schock

SCHOCK:
Exactly where I am today, my friend. All I thought about and dreamed about was, "I'm going to leave this town and the next time you see me, I'm going to be a rock star." And that's how it worked out for me. It has been this wonderful, glorious journey for me, one that I had dreamed of.

And you know what? It's even better than I thought it could be, all the experiences I've had. You know, all this I wanted to do, because I wanted to make my parents really proud of me. And I surpassed anything that I initially thought about, because I gotta tell you, this has been a dream come true and then some. One thing sort of leads to another and you just sort of follow the path and try to keep on track and do the right things and hope it all works out. And it's been just wonderful.

I look at this and, I swear to Christ, I just can't believe it's me. I went from 45th Street, in a neighborhood called Dundalk, in Baltimore, and made this journey all these years later. And the crazy part of this, Paul, is that people still love The Go-Go's and care about them. We could tour all year long. It's crazy! I love it, man!

PCC:
That journey, do you see it as your destiny?

SCHOCK:
I do. I believe in destiny. I believe in that and I think this was destiny.

PCC:
You picked up bass and guitar first. What was it about drums that you really connected with?

SCHOCK:
Well, the thing was that I tried playing other instruments and I would have to take lessons. And when you're a kid, you're 11 or 12 years old, I don't know, I was not disciplined in that way. And I just got tired of reading charts. It was like, "Hell's bells, I don't want to do this." And so I thought, "Well, I'll try this instrument." No, that didn't work. "Okay, I'll try that instrument." No. "Okay, I'll try the drums.

And when I sat down and tried to play the drums, I put headphones on and tried to play with my favorite record, favorite song. And it was easy. It was really easy. And I thought, "Okay, I'll never have to take lessons. This is what I'm going to play. This is the instrument. I'm going to be a drummer!" And that was my gift. Everybody's got a gift. That was definitely my gift.

PCC:
Who were the drummers who had the biggest impact on you, the ones you were listening to on records?

SCHOCK:
You name it... Well, of course, the two drummers that I idolized were John Bonham and Charlie Watts. But there were so many good drummers and so many great drummers now. I used to play a lot of Aerosmith and Lynyrd Skynyrd and David Bowie and T. Rex... You name it. I was playing anything. My choices of music are pretty eclectic. I like listening to everything. I would be listening to James Brown. I loved those beats. It was all over the place. I just loved music. It didn't matter the form. I was just into it.

PCC:
Your first rock show, your brother took you to see Led Zeppelin and The Who? That's pretty amazing.

SCHOCK:
I know. I saw the Stones. I saw Led Zeppelin play twice, including my first concert, in '69. And then I saw them when they came back around and they were headlining a couple years later. That was at the Baltimore Civic Center. Yeah, that was quite a show, to be 11 years old and have that be the first concert that you go to.

PCC:
Getting into playing punk rock, did that enable you to vent pent-up emotions?

From "Made in Hollywood," Photo by Gina Schock

SCHOCK:
Yeah, I mean, just playing, I was venting my emotions. But punk rock had even more angst. And it was really fast. And I was up for that. I was playing everything very, very fast. And it was a perfect outlet for me. I really needed to be doing that. I needed to be playing drums.

PCC:
After moving to L.A. and meeting the other members of The Go-Go's, did it click right away? Did you know the chemistry was there?

SCHOCK:
Oh, you bet. I played with different bands, but when the girls came over to the house and we started playing some songs, it was like, "Oh, my God! This is a perfect fit." Everybody was smiling. We all just started smiling at each other. We didn't even have to say anything, Paul. It was like, "Wow, this is the perfect fit. This is the band that I'm going to be in. And now we're going to get down to some serious work," because I was there and I was on a mission [laughs].

PCC:
So musically you meshed. But were you a bunch of very different personalities? Or more like-minded individuals?

SCHOCK:
We were all pretty like-minded, honestly. We were all into the same things. We liked pretty much the same kind of music, although my likes were all over the place. But we just connected on so many levels that it was obvious that these were people I needed to keep working with and I just wanted to get them in a more serious approach to what they were doing, because I was dead serious.

And it didn't take much. It didn't take much before everybody was rehearing four or five days a week after we finished work. Everybody got on board with that way of thinking pretty quickly.

PCC:
When you were playing the little punk clubs, did hit records seem like a million miles away? Or did you just have the belief you were going to get there?

SCHOCK:
I can only speak for myself, but I firmly believed we were going to be a huge band. I thought that way in Baltimore, as I told you. I told everybody I was going to be a rock star by the next time you see me. I believed that I was destined for [laughs] rock stardom.

And of course, in retrospect, it's like, "Well, you're a kid. Kids have these crazy dreams." I'm glad that I was thinking the way that I was, because nothing was going to stop me. And, as crazy as it is, it all happened. That's the insanity of this [laughs]. Wonderful.

PCC:
The Sunset Strip punk scene of that era, how wild was that?

SCHOCK:
So great! Oh, Paul, it was all happening. That Strip was loaded with punks every weekend. It was such a great scene, so fun. Everybody supported each other. Everybody knew each other. Everybody had bands. People would just pick up an instrument and say, "Okay, this is what I'm going to play."

It didn't matter if you knew how to play it or not. It was just like all about everybody getting together and having fun and be in packs and run from one club to the other. You'd go see your friends play and then go into another club. It was a wonderful time. It was a great time for music. It was free. People were very supportive, as I said. I was so lucky to be there at that time.

PCC:
It must have been exciting, as The Go-Go's were just starting, to feel the band gradually finding its groove, zeroing in on its unique sound.

SCHOCK:
Oh, yeah. You know, the more we rehearsed and the more we played, the bigger the audiences got. And that was a big part of the band, the rest of the girls, going, "Wow, maybe we really do have something here." And that contributed to everyone thinking, "Wow, rehearsal really is paying off. And we are getting better. And look at the crowds now, as opposed to a couple months ago." It was a very steady gain of fans, every show we'd do. So we were doing something right.

PCC:
As the drummer, did you take pride in being the foundation, the backbone of the sound?

SCHOCK:
Absolutely. I always will. I always will. The drummer of any band is the foundation of that band. Your drummer doesn't have their shit together, the rest is going to fall to pieces. You've got to have a strong foundation -- that's the drummer and the bass player. They've got to be rock solid. That's the way I think. That's the way I approach music.

PCC:
The misogyny of the rock world, was that something you had to deal with on a daily basis, when The Go-Go's were starting out?

SCHOCK:
Yeah, but that was just from the record labels, not from our friends. We were all in the same boat. But we never really cared about it. We just kept doing what we were doing, because we were having a great time. We were learning and getting better and better. We didn't have time to sit around and think about it much and worry about how it was going to affect us. We just knew that we had something special.

PCC:
But with that Boy's Club in place in the music industry, were you conscious of breaking down doors?

SCHOCK:
Oh, yeah. You know, Paul, we just figured, if we keep doing what we're doing, we're going to break this down, something's going to happen here. Somebody's going to have to go, "Wow, they really are getting a huge following. Wow, these songs are pretty damn good!" It did happen. And didn't that long. It didn't take 10 years or five years. It took a year-and-a-half before we had a record deal.

PCC:
Was there a kind of us-against-the-world vibe within the band?

SCHOCK:
Always. Always. We still think that way.

PCC:
Even after commercial success, the band didn't always get the critical respect it deserved. Did that bother you or were you just more focused on the effect the music had on the legions of enthusiastic fans?

SCHOCK:
You know, Paul, there's only so much you can control. And even that, you can't control. What you think you can, you really can't. And so, as I've always said, you just have to stay focused and have faith in your abilities, so you can overcome any obstacles that are placed in front of you. You've just got to believe in yourself.

And it's good, when you have a group of like-minded girls or women or people, period, for that matter, that feel the same way, because the more, the mightier. You know? You just feel that you have an important force that's going to push forward and break down some doors. And we believed we had that power. Although, like I say, that wasn't something that we were focused on. That was happening just by virtue of us doing what we did. It wasn't like we were carrying signs -- "Feminists!" We were feminists by doing what we were doing.

PCC:
Despite all the serious accomplishments, there was the fun. It seemed, from the book, that the general attitude was -- all party, no pretense. Was that the motto?

SCHOCK:
Absolutely. I don't think anybody was worrying about any pretense. We were just a bunch of young girls having a great time, loving what we do, and like I said, starting to realize that we had something really special to offer. And we just happened to be five women doing this. It all came together in a very organic way. There was no major plan. It wasn't like we were put together. Everything just sort of fell into place in like a very organic way.

PCC:
The Go-Go's had such terrific songs. The songwriting process, whatever the credits may say, was it a case, ultimately, of every band member contributing something to each number's creation?

SCHOCK:
Oh, of course. Of course, it was. And it always will be. We are a band. There's no one person that makes this band. It's the five of us together that make this sound that people love. We all contribute what we do to each song, to make it what it becomes, what it becomes when it's recorded.

I always use this example, because it's an obvious and easy one. I don't know what "We Got The Beat" would be without that drum beat and without that bass line. Such hooks. So everybody depends on each other, I believe, to make things what they ultimately become, good or bad. Fortunately our stuff, I think, is pretty great.

PCC:
You write in the book about the time you felt closest with the girls, when you were about to have open-heart surgery and decided to have one last trip, one last party, in case you didn't make it. Does that just reflect a philosophy of living life to the fullest?

SCHOCK:
Yes, absolutely. It was like we were at the top of our game, although it was a little unstable at that point. But we were a very big band at that particular time. And it was like, "Oh, my God, if I'm going to die, I'm going out the way that I wanna be and that's going to be getting a mud bath and getting a massage and getting a facial and hanging out with my four other best pals and we're going to have a party and we're going to have fun. And we're going to be doing it like rock stars do."

PCC:
You were so young [26] when you had your heart repaired, did going through that change your point of view in a lasting way?

SCHOCK:
Well, yeah, of course it did. I realized my mortality, how fragile life is. When you're in that position, you feel like nothing can touch you. You know? You just feel so mighty, because there's so much that you've overcome. And like I said, you're at the top of your game and so you have this false sense of nothing can touch me. And that's not really the truth of your situation.

PCC:
When the incredible success came, that whole whirlwind, what were the hardest aspects to deal with?

SCHOCK:
The inequality of the money situation. There were way too many drugs happening. And we were drifting apart.

PCC:
So the breakup was inevitable eventually?

SCHOCK:
I think so. I think initially, if we'd had people who were looking at the longevity of this band, they'd have told people that were the songwriters, or they'd just have told the whole band, "Guys, split everything equally, otherwise you're going to have problems if this band is successful." And that's what happened.

And just beware of friends offering drugs, because we never had to pay for drugs. They were just given to us. But that was the 80s then, Paul. Everything was in excess. The 80s was the decade of excess. It really was. If you went to a radio station, there'd be a pile of coke there. Everywhere you went.

Cocaine was everywhere. Everywhere. And you're young. And it's party time. And you're a rock star. And it just all made sense. Thank Christ, we all made it through that. We're lucky. Lucky to be alive.

PCC:
And then, coming out the other side, having success as a songwriter, outside of The Go-Go's, has that been an important validation for you?

SCHOCK:
Yeah, it really was. It was important to me. When it happened, it made me really feel good about my songwriting, what my contributions can be, if I have the opportunity. Because, in the band, it was sort of set, who the writers were. Jane and Charlotte just wanted to write with Jane and Charlotte. I don't know... it was tough. It was tough to get into that clique. But I did get some songs in the band. I wish I'd had more. But it's all fine. It all worked out fine.

I get it. I understand why people behave the way they do and I accept everybody in the band for who they are, not what I want them to be. And I hope they feel the same way about me. I love everybody in this band.

PCC:
After the breakup, after there had been some breathing space, did you sense that the band would get back together at some point?

SCHOCK:
You know what? I knew we broke up, but in my heart, I never felt like we really, really broke up, that we were going to stay separated forever. It just didn't seem like that was the way it had to end. I don't know... We had a special connection and we still do.

PCC:
So does it feel kind of like a sisterhood again, at this point?

SCHOCK:
Yeah. I mean, look we have our ups and downs, don't get me wrong. It's like any family, Paul. You love your family, but you don't always like them. And there's always going to be an issue with somebody. It's like, "Who's in the doghouse this week?" You know? You can't always agree on everything. But ultimately, we seem to be able to weather it all. We're still together.

PCC:
The Broadway show, 'Head Over Heels," was that a thrill, to hear the band's songs used in that theatrical format?

SCHOCK:
Well, that was the craziest thing, to go from a stinky, dark, dank basement of The Masque [a late 70s Hollywood punk-rock club, below a porn theater], where we all used to rehearse, to Broadway. Whoah! What a leap! That was crazy. As a matter of fact, that's touring now. It was just playing at the Pasadena Playhouse, "Head Over Heels." So that will be out and about. That will be touring around.

PCC:
You must constantly hear from kids who have picked up instruments, because of the band, gotten into music because of the band. That must be so gratifying.

SCHOCK:
That is the most gratifying part of all of this. And the fact that I made my parents really proud. That was what it was all about for me. But the fact that myself personally, and the band, The Go-Go's, have influenced a lot of kids, or whatever, to pick up an instrument or start writing songs -- that is what it's about, at the end of the day, is the next generation, thinking you might have an influence on them.

PCC:
Is that what you see as the band's legacy?

SCHOCK:
It's a powerful statement. This band has so much to draw from. This band is rich. The story is very rich, the music, the individuals. It's interesting. And the fact that it keeps going is the most interesting thing of all.

PCC:
You've got a lot of great achievements to look back on already.

SCHOCK:
Yeah, there's a lot of good stuff. And, to me, like the icing on the cake was doing this book, writing this book and showing my photographs. I've also been doing galleries with my photos. I've done two art exhibitions of my photos. So I was like, yeah, I've been taking photos forever. This makes sense. [Laughs]

So I'm going to continue doing that throughout the year, going to different galleries. The photos are all from the book. And as soon as this Covid stuff calms down, man, I want to get back out there on the book tour. And hopefully keep the Go-Go's stuff going.

The Go-Go's have a project they're working on. We're working on it right now and hopefully that will come to fruition this year. And I have something on a personal level that I'm working on and I'm hoping will happen this year, as well.,, So things are busy in Go-Go Land.

PCC:
Are these music projects?

SCHOCK:
They certainly will have music in them.

PCC:
We hope your arm is all healed soon and you can get back on the road.

SCHOCK:
Oh, thank you sweetheart. I really appreciate that. I really want to get out and do those shows.

PCC:
Charlie Watts was still playing great at 80. Do you still feel like you have a lot of years of rock 'n' roll left in you?

SCHOCK:
Paul, I'll play until I fall off the drum kit. I just hope the rest of the band will play.

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