The Go! Team / Review 2
The Barfly, Liverpool, 4th February 2005
Second support band Doktor Combover turned in a very diverting set of twanging surf guitar, making your correspondent somewhat lachrymal about the eyes remembering the heady days of Manorastroman?
Even better than that was the pure mentalist wall of carnage that was DJ Scotch Egg – the expression “Fuck Off” was turned into a post modern industrial techno synapse popper, our man was prepared to abuse his audience by screaming “Hello Manchester!” and chucking Scotch Eggs over all and sundry. Check the banter for more info on this loon.
A fairly well revved up crowd weren’t short changed when the Go! Team took to the stage and ripped through stand out track “Junior Kickstart”. Live, the foggy production of the record is replaced by a more immediate rock n roll sound, with the two drummers working up a reet racket.
The sample heavy feel of the album was given a more up front live presence by all action front woman Ninja; who opened her vocal account scatting over “Panther Dash”, adding an extra dimension to an already jumping track. The set pretty much consisted of tracks from the Long Player – mostly keeping it driving and anthemic, the likes of last years smash hit, (ahem), “LadyFlash” and “Huddle Formation” going down a treat, they also gave a run out to the more wistful “Everyone’s a VIP To Someone”.
Ninja and the band emanated energy like six Catherine Wheels, or indeed “Bottle Rocket”(s), the so old skool it’s nu skool hip hop stylings of which set the place off like a well-shaken panda pop.
Doubts that the only material the band had was one, short, album, were somewhat assuaged by the encore of a new tune, which was so fresh they hadn’t given it a name yet, but it wasn’t too shoddy.
Although the band will need to put together a set longer than 35 minutes if they want to kick on in the long run, they still provided an essential slice of pop music that promises much. Go Team!