The Go-Go’s, an upcoming documentary about the titular all-girl New Wave pop band, takes us back to the 80s with an unparalleled, runaway success – and the inevitable trappings of fame – story about the group who went from playing “dive bars to Madison Square Garden” in just one year. The doc is due out in August this year. 

1981’s Beauty and the Beat made the Go-Go’s the first – and still only – all-female group to top the Billboard album chart with a self-written and performed album. The film’s first trailer tracks the band’s rapid rise out of the Los Angeles punk scene on the strength of their undeniable songwriting. Success quickly took its toll on the group and they broke up after 1984's Talk Show. But, in under four years, the band achieved the level of success that should take decades – their career path was simply incredible, not because they're girls.   

The Go-Go's | Official Trailer

“We lived it and we survived it,” the Go-Go’s noted. “Now, looking back on our history through this film, we get to relive our journey as a band: the fun, the adventure, the highs and the lows. We hope this documentary will show the world that we were pioneers, and how our experience paved the way for many other female (and some male!) musicians.”

The Go-Go’s was directed by Alison Ellwood, who’s previous credits include the Laurel Canyon: A Place in Time docuseries and History of the Eagles. 

“I’ve always been a huge Go-Go’s fan,” Ellwood said in a press release. “When the band asked me to direct this film, I was thrilled. Like a lot of people, I thought of them as this wonderful, bubbly, all-girl pop band from L.A. What I’ve discovered is a much more complex and deeper truth.”

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