LOS ANGELES -- Go-Go's guitarist Jane Wiedlin isn't about to
guess whether the band's upcoming reunion tour will lead to anything
more extensive down the road.
"A Go-Go's tour is always a highly combustible experience," Wiedlin
quipped Saturday. "Maybe once we're on the road, we'll all start hating
each other again."
The Go-Go's will kick off their first concert tour in four years July 3
in Seattle. From there, the quintet -- one of the most successful
all-female bands of the late '70s-early '80s new-wave scene -- will hit
cities along the West Coast and sweep into Texas before returning to their
hometown, Los Angeles, July 17.
More dates may be added, though none has been confirmed.
Wiedlin, who hosted the Punk Rock Hall of Fame Awards in Santa Monica on
Saturday, said she's looking forward to the outing. "Going out on tour
is always fun," said the guitarist, who organized the band's first reunion
in 1990, the occasion when they recorded a cover of the Capitols' "Cool
Jerk" for their Greatest Hits album.
The pending tour will feature the classic Go-Go's lineup -- Wiedlin,
singer Belinda Carlisle, guitarist Charlotte Caffey, bassist Kathy
Valentine and drummer Gina Schock. The group saw its greatest success
with 1981's Beauty and the Beat, which sported such singles as
"We Got the Beat" (RealAudio excerpt)
and "Our Lips Are Sealed."
Vacation followed the next year and scored a top-10 hit with its
title cut. Talk Show (1984) became the group's last studio album of
all-new material and featured the songs "Head Over Heels" and "Turn to
You."
After the Go-Go's split in 1985, Carlisle and Wiedlin each pursued solo
careers, with Carlisle earning a string of hits in the mid- and late-'80s.
Caffey performed in a group called the Graces, which released an album
titled Perfect View in 1989.
The Go-Go's last reunited in 1994 to record three new songs for the
double-disc compilation Return to the Valley of the Go-Go's. A
lengthy tour followed.
The '80s pop act Berlin, whose hit "Take My Breath Away" was featured on
the soundtrack to the film "Top Gun," will open all dates of the Go-Go's
tour. New York punk band the Lunachicks will play the first eight dates
of the outing before joining the Vans Warped Tour on July 16. Eclectic
art-pop band Sparks will play the second Los Angeles date at the Greek
Theatre on July 17.
"I'm just waiting for them to add some East Coast dates," wrote Katie
Rowe, a 22-year-old Go-Go's fan from Atlanta, Ga., in an e-mail. "I was
too young the first time around and couldn't see them [in 1994] because
I had my wisdom teeth out. This time, I REFUSE to miss out, even if I
have to hitchhike my way to Texas."
Wiedlin and Schock had a warm-up performance of sorts at Saturday's
awards show when they played two songs after accepting a hall of fame
award for "outstanding achievement in the field of punk rock." With
Wiedlin on vocals, they performed "Our Lips Are Sealed" (RealAudio excerpt)
and the first Go-Go's song ever written, the S&M-inspired "Fun With
Ropes."
The Go-Go's Tour Dates:
July 3; Seattle, Wash.; Summer Nights at the Pier
July 4; Portland, Ore.; Portland Meadows
July 7; San Francisco, Calif.; Maritime Hall
July 8; Los Angeles, Calif.; Greek Theatre
July 9; Santa Barbara, Calif.; Santa Barbara Bowl
July 10; Las Vegas, Nev.; House of Blues
July 11; San Diego, Calif.; SDSU Open Air Theatre
July 13; Phoenix, Ariz.; The Phoenix Celebrity
July 14; El Paso, Texas; Civic Center Grand
July 16; Dallas, Texas; Bronco Bowl
July 17; Los Angeles, Calif.; Greek Theatre