The most successful all-female band of all time – according to the US Billboard charts – remains to this day the Go-Go’s, an irreverent and combustible new wave five-piece formed in the crucible of the LA punk scene who went to No 1 in the US in 1982 with their debut album, Beauty and the Beat. This excellent memoir from their bassist, Kathy Valentine, forms part of a charm offensive that includes a much-praised 2020 documentary and dates supporting Billy Idol in the UK in June.
It should not be important, in this day and age, but given Damon Albarn’s recent, since-retracted, comments questioning Taylor Swift’s songwriting, it bears repeating: the Go-Go’s were a girl gang who wrote their own songs. And had female management. And inspired female musicians from the Bangles, their obvious heirs, to Kathleen Hanna, who went on to form Bikini Kill. Sure, there’s a Terry Hall credit on one of their biggest hits, Our Lips Are Sealed, but the song was based on letters Hall exchanged with Go-Go’s guitarist Jane Wiedlin while the two were an item.
