By: Cyn Collins
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Photo by Martijn Middel. See Martijn's gallery of photos from a show at Vera, Groningen in the Netherlands in September.
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“Listening to [debut Thunder, Lightning, Strike] is like looking on bemusedly while an enthusiastic, but tipsy, friend plays you snatches of his favourite records: ancient hip-hop, Northern soul, indie guitar bands, the music from Charlie Brown cartoons.” -- London reviewer, Alexis Petridis
Trying to describe the kaleidoscopic and eclectic power of Brighton, England’s The Go! Team’s is akin describing an acid trip to someone who’s never dropped. It makes you sound crazy. That being said, the Go! Team's live show filled First Avenue with warm bursts of orange and pink sunshine, fireworks, and psychedelic visions of pure joy.
Cowboy harmonica wails, banjo licks, tambourines and handclaps offset hot vocals, horns, and the increasingly essential melodica. Even jingle bells kept popping up in the mix. (That’s it, I’m buying some for my jugband!) And Quincy Jones-style 70’s soul rhythms made for moving instrumentals.
Band founder and lead Ian Parton cites influences as diverse as Sesame Street to Glen Campbell’s “Wichita Lineman (for the “windswept country feel”) to Sonic Youth to Public Enemy. That array of styles is apparent as the band juxtaposes Hip hop raps and beats, cheerleader chants and playful Jackson 5 style counting along with Motown vocals, lighthearted melodies from children’s shows like Scooby Doo, the Archies, and Josie and the Pussycats, filled out with police sirens, and played with the urgency of t.v. show theme songs like the ones from Hawaii 5-0 or Mannix.
Not only was the performance a “blast”, but London’s MC Ninja’s disarming dynamite in a small package rapport with the audience was some of the most charming I’ve seen. After “Get It Together,” she said, “We always have fun on stage! We hope you have fun, too!” She also asked the audience, “How many of you have our import record?” (The import features samples that had to be removed before entering U.S.) To the several people who raised their hands, she teasingly said, “You’re all criminals!”
During “Everyone’s a V.I.P. to Someone,” the First Avenue movie screen was filled with falling stars and shining lights. Ninja had the audience eating out of her hands as she led them on counting, arm-waving chants like “I’ve got the power!” Then came the dark fueled and percussive, “The Power is On.”
Another song featured a call and response between the girls in the audience, “Yeah, yeah”, and the boys: “A-roof, A-roof.” This silliness led into the heavier Sonic Youth intro (with a horn section) for “Junior Kickstart.” The phenomenal female Japanese drummer Chi came out from behind the kit to sing slow, sing-songy melodic “Hold Yr Terror Close.” The audience chanted, “G! O! Do It! Do It! Alright!” before a song encouraging the boys to show their “Bottle Rockets.” At the end, Ninja exclaimed, “You’ve been a wicked crowd! Our last song is a new track, not on the album!” Most of the front row clambered onto the stage for a wild dance party, and did so again when the
band returned for an encore.
The Go! Team’s live show took me back to the carefree days of early childhood – to the days of The Monkees, the Bay City Rollers and the Beatles, before the dark days of teen angst set in with their accompanying sociopolitical awareness, and goth, and heavy metal. At moments I felt the world might be changed by such playful positive music. It reminded me of the wonder I felt when I first discovered our own Melodious Owl (who opened for the Go! Team at this show.) When we feel fantastically good, we share the vibes with the world.
Location Info:
First Avenue
Artist Info: The Go! Team
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