House of Schock

Biography

House of Schock was ex-Go-Go's drummer Gina Schock's short-lived solo project. Moving from drums to vocals, the former Baltimorean (who had played with local eccentric and John Waters star Edith "Edie the Egg Lady" Massey's performance art punk group Edie and the Eggs before moving to L.A.) hooked up with bassist Vance DeGeneres, a New Orleans native formerly of the local new wave institution the Cold. The duo gave their new project the rather unfortunate name House of Schock and drafted guitarist Chrissy Shefts and drummer Steven Fisher to record their sole album, 1988's House of Schock. Although Capitol Records signed the new group, the album was given next to no promotion, and despite the presence of the fine could-be hit "Middle of Nowhere," the album sank without a trace almost immediately, so Schock and DeGeneres went their separate ways. Aside from occasional Go-Go's reunions, Schock largely retired from music, while DeGeneres returned to his first love, comedy. (In the mid-'70s, while a college student in New Orleans, DeGeneres co-created the character of Mr. Bill with his roommate Walter Williams, to whom he lost all rights after their short films, in which DeGeneres played the evil Mr. Hands, started appearing on Saturday Night Live.) After a stint as a writer and producer on his younger sister Ellen's controversial sitcom, DeGeneres became a staff reporter on Comedy Central's satiric news program The Daily Show With Jon Stewart. ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide