Interview by:Bruce Bluett

Sometimes life makes twists that turn out for the best. When Gina Gershon set out to tour with her rock band, it was originally intended to help promote her independent film, Prey for Rock and Roll. However, when the film suffered from poor distribution, no amount of touring would save it. With hours of video-journal footage of the promotional tour, Gershon decided to turn around and create the documentary Rocked for the Independent Film Channel (IFC). Chronicling the mystique and grim reality of touring, Rocked introduces us to the sides of the film and music industry we never see. Gershon admits that the process isn't as glamorous as it seems.

'There were a lot of Spinal Tap moments, in show six; we did two shows in one night'we had to walk through the audience to get to the stage. And when we got there, all of a sudden my microphone didn't work. And when I went to play the first note, I blew up the amp. I was up there, just talking to the audience because there was nowhere to go, and then we realized Alexis, the drummer, was missing! We lost him somewhere along the way. It was funny at that point. The good thing about filming a documentary when you are on tour is that whenever anything goes wrong you are always thinking, 'At least this will be good for the documentary'. It eases the blow a little bit.'

Initially, the idea to film the tour itself did not appeal to Gershon. Ironically enough, it ended up being the bright spot in what could have been a very grim situation. 'When I was first approached for the project, I said no. I am a fairly private person. It was kind of approached to me as a reality show, which I hate. I'm not into that at all, and I would certainly never put myself into one. When I heard that IFC was interested, I thought that I could make it into a documentary. So, I thought, 'When am I ever going to be on tour again'' I definitely wanted to shoot the tour anyway, for myself. But if I had five real cameras at my disposal it would be more than just a video journal. Besides, I like editing and directing'and I love documentaries. So I thought, why not, it would be fun.'

IFC attracts an audience of television watchers that respect and appreciate work that is off the beaten path. In what was supposed to be a producing/acting experience in Prey for Rock and Roll, Gershon documented many of the processes that go into making an independent film get off of the ground.

'I wanted the show to be fun. Everyone is curious as to what it was like to be on tour. And seeing it through my eyes might work because it was certainly the first experience I had being on my own tour. I think it's interesting to see what goes into selling an independent film'and how hard it is in this case to get it distributed even though it is getting amazing reviews. Unfortunately, because I was a producer on the film (Prey for Rock and Roll), I was really able to see how many great films get ruined by the distribution. I think it's important for people interested in film to see that side of it. Rocked is a story, it's a documentary in the sense of an actress who goes out on tour to promote her film. And on the way the film gets buried, but the music takes over'.

In the end, the multi faceted Gershon prevails. That is not to say that Prey for Rock and Roll is completely wiped off of the face of the earth. It was released on DVD, and as previously mentioned, received great reviews. When asked about taking other career moves, Gershon let us in on a little personal fantasy she has about running one of the most notorious magazines in the nation.

'I've been approached by Playboy three times in the past, and this last time I was seriously considering doing it. I would do it now; it would be fun. But I think Playboy could be great, if they would just revamp the whole thing. Playboy used to be amazing, and now they are just blowing it. It's cheesy now; I wish I could run Playboy. It could be an amazing magazine and a whole big operation. But, I decided to say no and do Maxim instead.'

Well, I'm not stopping her there. When one door closes, Gina Gershon was right there to bust it right back open. It may not breathe life back into Prey for Rock and Roll, but the Rocked series on IFC stands alone as an interesting look into an actor turned musician. While swirling in the midst of the business side of entertainment, you see Gina Gershon grow with her band and fans. Rocked: With Gina Gershon premiers Friday April 9 at 10:30PM ET/PT as a six-part series on the Independent Film Channel. And now for some final thoughts on the subject'

'Four weeks/Eight cities/Three hot band mates/One loyal assistant/A kick-ass crew./And a whole lot of friends./In other words, I got rocked'

-Gina Gershon