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Biography
The band began as guitarist Ian Parton’s solo project in 2000, with the intention of creating music featuring Sonic Youth guitars, breaks from old school hip-hop, electro synths and samples from Bollywood soundtracks among an absolute plethora of other influences. Over the next four years he wrote songs non-stop, demoing them in his parents’ kitchen before releasing a number of early tracks onto the internet. He started making a name for himself soon afterwards, to the extent that in early 2004, he was contacted by the Accelerator Music Festival in Sweden to play, despite the fact that he hadn’t formed a band for the project yet. Parton would go on to recruit guitarist Sam Dook, drummer Chi Fukami Taylor, multi-instrumentalist Kaori Tsuchida, bassist Jamie bell and vocalist Ninja, and began performing live soon afterwards.
The band’s first album “Thunder, Lightning, Strike” was released in September 2004 to enormous critical acclaim, but the band didn’t start making a commercial impact until the release of their single “Ladyflash”. The track enjoyed radio play from all over the world, and ever since then the band have become one of the most esoteric and exciting acts of their generation. They’re a band who have collaborated with everyone from Best Coast’s Bethany Consentino to Public Enemy’s Chuck D, and with non-stop critical acclaim for each of their four records, they don’t show any sign of slowing down even over a decade and a half into their career. Highly recommended.
Live reviews
Given what a potent onstage force they are, it’s easy to forget that The Go! Team didn’t start life as a live band. Instead, their first record, Thunder, Lightning, Strike, was pretty much the solo project of the group’s eventual leader, Ian Parton, and he only went about assembling a ‘real’ iteration of The Go! Team when Franz Ferdinand heard the record and invited Parton to join them on tour. He did quite the job of putting together the outfit, too; two drummers, a bass player, a guitarist - Kaori Tsuchida - who could also sing on some of the more melodic numbers, and, of course, one of the most underrated frontwomen in recent British history in the shape of Ninja, a prodigiously-gifted rapper who routinely had the audience in the palm of her hand with her energetic performances. The group’s last UK dates came in support of the criminally-overlooked Rolling Blackouts back in 2011; they were on typically scintillating form, blending furious new cuts like ‘T.O.R.N.A.D.O.’ and ‘Back Like 8-Track’ with tried-and-true classics ‘Ladyflash’ and ‘Grip Like a Vice’. The band’s future has been up in the air ever since, with comments made by Parton in interviews seeming to indicate that Rolling Blackouts may have been their last record; we can only hope he changes his mind, because we’d be losing one of the finest live bands to come out of Britain in a long, long time.
Joeg_67
The sound of The Go! Team is unique; everything is turned up to the max, a high-energy fracas between voices and instruments each competing to be heard. If the music isn't absolutely as noisy as it could be - even for a second - maracas or tambourines are enlisted to push it back up to the familiar, fabulous cacophony.
Perhaps unsurprisingly this live performance followed the same rule, with every member of the band who was not encumbered by a drum kit right at the front of the stage, fighting for space and attention.
I was really impressed by the musicianship, the showmanship and of course the energy of the band. I like the way they sound, I like the way they look (picked at random from a student union bar style) the songs are great and Ninja fronts it brilliantly, bossing the crowd and throwing herself into things like a crazed personal trainer.
MatthewBaxter
The Go! Team were awesome. I real feel good band that never disappoints. Would recommend to anyone that loves and appreciates good music!!!! The Daniel Wakeford Experience and GURR real got the crowd warmed up.
alice-fuller-1
Enegetic and gregarious fun. From the band to the crowd, this ensemble assures a good time, especially in a relatively small venue. Glad I waited to see them after their big festival days were behind them.
shadethrower25
