Go-Go's 1978: Beatnik Beach

Mabuhay Gardens
San Francisco, California

[@stuka97]

So glad this footage exists, A real piece of Punk history .

[@GoGosUnsealed]

This is AMAZEBALLS! Most definitely the earliest video clip performance I have ever seen of the band performing live (I mean come on, that's Elissa Bello back there on the drums) and while the song is definitely Beatnik Beach (or a very early version) of it, DeDe is right...that's not what they are singing. Almost sounds like 'Bored Of Me' or something. Anyways, this is awesome! Thanks for the post.

[@Jajwhite1]

It definitely isn't "Beatnik Beach". I'm thinking "On The Beach"?

[@ernestoribeiro2226]

Indeed. They are performing a lot better than we expected for "a joke band who only wanted get along with the boys" in their first year. I just downloaded this one for my collection in DVDs archives. Maybe you enjoy my Illustrated Article with 30 selected videos and 177 best pictures of them: americanofilosim.blogspot.com/2020/02/go-gos-o-ultraje-punk-em-pele-de-new_82.html

[@brandon.lewis.]

@@ernestoribeiro2226 Your picture collection is amazing. I'm wanting to get 2 posters made. One of Belinda during the Wild at the Greek concert VHS (the whole show is uploaded on here) and one of this picture I found of Belinda wearing a Germs shirt (I'll link it) Do you know where a HQ quality version of either? This is the best I found for the Germs one: images.app.goo.gl/QbWYDtSvYuBiLWUv6 If you have know of a clearer version of that one or any decent quality shot of her during that Greek concert special, let me know. I'd appreciate it!

[@dmfeelings]

sounds like "bongo beach"

[@rudolphguarnacci197]

@@brandon.lewis. Wow! That's the best I've seen her look.

[@justsayin2899]

I thought they said they couldn't play back then. They sound great!

[@GR-bn3xj]

I have read countless times about how they could not play good during this stage. Some songs I hear and they sound good and others not so good. I love the early stuff but if I am being fair they sounded like they were missing some beats here. They make up for it with their energy but the actual instrument playing here isn't great

[@rudolphguarnacci197]

@@GR-bn3xj This isn't the Go-Go lineup yet

[@rudolphguarnacci197]

@a w Yeah? Thanks. I don't know what I'd do without you.

[@rudolphguarnacci197]

@a w Live a long life

[@cindyland6273]

Induct this talented group of Musicians into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!! All female band, #1 Album all female band, paved the way for Punk Bands like "GreenDay". They weren't even listed on Top 40 Punk Bands by Rolling Stone. Travesty!! 🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸

[@billschlafer]

The earlier punkier Go Gos definitely had a bit of an edge. Wish they had kept a bit more of that sound in the following years.

[@thomasfilmer9717]

Is this the earliest footage of the band performing? This is fantastic, love it!

[@robin212212]

yes, they were a punk band when they first started

[@nankypooh655]

Now why couldn't The Go Gos remain a punk band and play stuff like THIS? Great stuff! More of the old school Go Gos, please!

[@thetinysideoftiny7625]

WOW!!!!!😮 FREAKING AMAZING!

[@jasonpeters9716]

Go Go's & The Runaways & The Raincoats & Patti Smith😊 😊😊😊😊😊😊 ^^^ULTIMATE concert

[@kimberlyhendricks6388]

What a treat! Loved me some go-gos

[@rudolphguarnacci197]

Charlotte looks incredible. Pre-H days

[@jamiking1696]

The PUNK days 🦠🦠🦠🦠 are the best. I prefer the dirty over pop sound

[@rudolphguarnacci197]

I prefer them making money

[@magillagorillagrapeape6139]

So raw and pure. Dick Dale never imagined where his sound would go: Secretary Rock!

[@jlobiafra]

It would be interesting to hear what they'd sound like if they had stuck to their punk roots

[@rudolphguarnacci197]

@@jlobiafra They'd sound like shit.

[@jlobiafra]

@@rudolphguarnacci197 well I myself like raw punk rather than pop music

[@SearchIndex]

Secretary rock 😆 never heard that one before

[@ernestoribeiro2226]

They are performing a lot better than we expected for "a joke band who only wanted get along with the boys" in their first year. I just downloaded this one for my collection in DVDs archives.

[@rudolphguarnacci197]

Good move. You never know when these things will disappear.

[@ernestoribeiro2226]

@@rudolphguarnacci197 Thank You. I already have 30 DVDs containing 3.5 hours each one. All of them from KZbin. A LOT of them are videos already DELETED from KZbin. Includding a TV Movie BBC Production starring David Bowie as "Baal" by Berthold Brecht.

[@rudolphguarnacci197]

@@ernestoribeiro2226 Dayuuuummmmmmm! You rule!

[@ernestoribeiro2226]

@@rudolphguarnacci197 Well, I am just a Brazilian researcher, journalist and writer on American & British Pop Culture. For the last 10 years, I published nearly 100 essays and articles about Music, Cinema, TV and even Comics, some of them related to a Sociologic approach on American & British Culture and History. Maybe in 2022 I can reunite and publish all these writings in a book.

[@rudolphguarnacci197]

@@ernestoribeiro2226 You are very articulate in your expression of feelings that you have for the Go-Go's. I enjoy reading all your comments on them as you are quite knowledgeable when it comes to them. I'm hoping I can one day ask kv out for coffee.

[@AsBaile]

Sounds like Beatnik Beach, off of their album, "Return To The Valley Of The Go-Go's" - Disc 1, Track 10

[@amazontracy]

I used to listen to this on my Sony walkman big time back in the 80s love it classic

[@darrelllatham6086]

Raw and Wonderful!

[@timmackenzie8145]

wow, never saw or heard this! Great stuff!!

[@ericlee2931]

Really intense performance when they were a mostly punk band

[@beatnikdede]

OMG! They are so young!! And they are not singing "Beatnik Beach" ...WTH??

[@lauriethomas4145]

Wonder if they can do this in 2021. Great sound

[@robertpusateri2345]

They came a long way since this

[@nick16279]

The slits influence

[@jonathanst.thomas31]

Nice and Raw. For another Nice and Raw music video clip type, Metallica Cliff Dave March 1983, in the search box of KZbin.

[@DEVOn.A.Skertic]

In the documentary about the Cukoo's Nest in Costa Mesa , there is shot of a flyer were The Go-Go's and Black Flag played together, so.....if you need more punk rock proof, on the c.d 'beyond the valley of the Go-Go's are some of their punk songs, 'London boy's', living at the Canturbury' and FUN WITH ROPES.

[@mdkfc7911]

I just love Charlotte, when Gina joined them, I just love Gina and Charlotte. 😍😍

[@armandrodriguez8501]

I'd love to tell them, in 1978, their 2020 concerts are being postponed to the summer of 2021.

[@thestepfordlife2015]

😂 Hahahaha!

[@blessedbowmanmichelle]

absolutely awesome..

[@michaellouis9120]

I wish I was there!

[@thestepfordlife2015]

Fucking AMAZING!!!

[@deansusec8745]

Awesome!

[@mandolicious67]

It almost sounds like she’s singing “Bongo Beach” or something. Either way, it’s raw

[@halenbud]

Put on your paisleys Put on your black beret too Joining all us beatniks Nothing better could happen to you, yeah Beatnik Beach (yeah, yeah) It's really neat (yeah, yeah) Limbo down (yeah, yeah) Hit the ground C'mon!

[@micolsen9824]

They've got the beat.

[@michaelbauers8800]

Really raw and unpolished, but appealing. Full on punk, so strange to think of them doing commercial pop like We Got the Beat.

[@ИванЛопатин-р1т]

💥💥💥👍🤟🤘

[@crucifyrobinhood]

look, I literally grew up with this shit. I'm about 2 years younger than miss B. and from the same place. In fact, she used some material stolen from me by her friend Paige, but that's another story... It does bring back the feel of the age but when, inevitably, I hear "Vacation" playing in my head I just wanna (hypothetically, in minecraft,) throttle all of these sweet young ladies. Sellout dosen't even begin to describe the betrayal.

[@RedMango55]

Sellout? They had bills to pay like any working stiff.

[@me-lq7go]

Sounds like you have some good dish, you should share! "Vacation" was written by KV who wasn't in the band in the early days. 'miss B' who I assume is Belinda, had nothing to do with writing "Vacation", so this has gotta be a good story!

[@gregmark1688]

You know, Belinda had a real good friend who was the literal opposite of a sellout, and proved it. Would you rather she wound up like Darby? I mean, I get it. I used to yell "poser" and "sellout" all the time in the day myself. But, um, we're all a lot older than that now. I think we can admit that maybe that attitude was kinda dumb.

[@michaelbauers8800]

@@gregmark1688 If music is your career, you need to eat to. I guess people prefer OTHER people are starving artists :)

[@ianmintz12806]

Where were Charlotte Kathy and Gina? I only saw Belinda and Jane

[@scottjhnsn]

Char is wearing the hat. Looking like a Beatnik actually 😂 Jane is there left of Margot. and this was 78. Gina replaced Elissa Bello not till 79 and Kathy replaced Margot in 80.

[@carlosarturosousagarridole9361]

Margot Olavarria on bass and Elissa Bello on drums?

[@JohnnyCake6759]

What's the song that plays in the beginning?

[@jasonpeters9716]

JMP77🖤

[@spacecaserecords1204]

Margot and Elissa still in the band. So tough.

[@JCStorm76]

Not as bad as I expected

[@gregmark1688]

People commenting on how "punk" the band sounds -- do they not realize that Belinda's big influence and very close friend was Darby effing Crash, literally the single punkest human being to ever live on this planet?? You know, from the band Germs, who basically invented Hardcore???

[@MacintoshT.Reznor]

Belinda was kicked out of the Germs because they said she couldn't drum. I love her and Darby both, but are you getting your info accurately?? Also, not to insult you but Black Flag and Misfits are responsible for pioneering hardcore. But what would I know, I hate punk lol. It was cool when the sex pistols did it. It was about politics then.

[@gregmark1688]

@@MacintoshT.Reznor BF and Misfits sounded in the 80s like Germs sounded in 78. Imo, they had the hardcore sound years before anybody else. As I recall it, anyway. And Belinda was sort of kicked out of the band, but she continued to be a sort of MC at the shows, doing weird shit like putting her mic into a jar of peanut butter. Or so I heard, at the time. Belinda and Darby were best buds. She only stopped hanging out with him when he became genuinely suicidal, according to her.

[@MacintoshT.Reznor]

@@gregmark1688 the peanut butter was Darby's thing. You have everything wrong. Go back and do your research.

[@gregmark1688]

@@MacintoshT.Reznor Well, like I said, that's how I heard the story. Back in '79. Research is for children; memories are for old men. Even if they're wrong memories, little poser boy.

[@gregmark1688]

@@MacintoshT.Reznor You're prolly right, tho. Now that I think about it, pretty sure that the story was that she would hand him the peanut butter, or more likely hold it for him since he was too fucked up to find it, probably.

[@carlosarturosousagarridole9361]

Still The Misfits?

[@eduardoteodorobracamonteal397]

PUNK ROCK

[@joemyers2075]

Makes me want to find my earplugs.

[@mcgrath274]

Luckily they got much better lol