Hole’s Classic Lineup Reconnects at Documentary Premiere
Michael N. Todaro/FilmMagic
Onetime Hole band mates Courtney Love, Eric Erlandson, Melissa Auf der Maur and Patty Schemel were together for the first time in 13 years last night for the premiere of the new rock doc Hit So Hard at New York’s Museum of Modern Art.
“The film represents a really tough time in our band,” bassist Auf der Maur told Rolling Stone, “and it’s an incredible survival story about Patty.”
Part of the New Directors/New Films series, Hit So Hard tells the story of drummer Schemel’s life – joining Hole, coming out as a lesbian, becoming addicted to drugs, going homeless and finally getting her life back together. With footage shot by band members and friends during their peak years, the film offers an inside look at Schemel nearly becoming a member of Nirvana, her friendships in both bands, her rampant drug use, and her departure from Hole during the recording of Celebrity Skin. (Though her exit was previously blamed on drugs, it becomes clear in Hit So Hard that producer Michael Beinhorn’s determination to replace her with a session drummer had more to do with it.)
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“There’s some really romantic stuff of Kurt and Courtney when they were young and in love and just had a baby,” said director P. David Ebersole.
Was the MOMA gathering perhaps a first step towards a real Hole reunion? “I think [the film] will be a healing thing,” Auf der Maur said. “It will heal certain dark corners of confusion as a band, so maybe that can lead to something. It will clear the air on that level. Anything else is so chaotic. It’s like seeing an ex-boyfriend: ‘Oh my god, will we have sex in the bathroom?'”
“We haven’t really discussed it between each other much,” Schemel said. “I’m not against it. If everything’s great, who knows? There’s been little rumblings.” Typically, Love disagreed: “Rumblings! There’s no rumblings. You’re making a rumbling.”
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After the film’s premiere, the former band mates took the stage for a Q&A session, during which Love herself brought up the question of a possible reunion. “I do want to say that if something’s not relevant, I don’t want to do it,” she told the crowd. “As much I love Patty, and I would play with her in five seconds, but if it’s not moving forward, I don’t want to do it. That’s just my thing.” At the word “forward,” Erlandson pointedly leaped forward. Love continued, “If it’s not miserable, and it’s going forward, and I’m happy with it, that’s all I have to say about that.”