This is shaping up to be a very busy month for one of the most influential all-female bands in history. The Go-Go’s announced yesterday the release of a new single, “Club Zero“, which will drop on July 31st in hopes of proving they’ve “still got the beat”. The very next day, Showtime will debut the hit Sundance documentary The Go-Go’s from director Alison Ellwood.
The Go-Go’s doc follows original bandmates Belinda Carlisle, Charlotte Caffey, Gina Schock, Kathy Valentine, and Jane Wiedlin as they chronicle their emergence on the punk rock scene in the 1970s, performing in bars and taverns to headlining at Madison Square Garden. Each woman is given their chance to shed light on the personal issues that derailed their stay at the top, but also the reasons why they always seem to find their way back together again.
The band debuted their first album with 1981’s Beauty and the Beat, which turned “We Got the Beat” into a chart-topping smash. Other top singles included “Vacation” (my personal favorite), “Our Lips are Sealed”, and “Head Over Heels”.
After its initial screening at Sundance, The Go-Go’s was poised to be a major presence on the festival circuit. The outbreak of COVID-19 messed all of that up, and also scuttled plans for a tour to coincide with the documentary’s release.
Showtime will air The Go-Go’s documentary on August 1st.
