Go! Team Go!

Passing a long queue of Simple Minds fans outside the Roundhouse (I thought they were stadium fare? I bought their first album back in 79 on spec...) I pick Debbie up from Lulu and Andrew's and after a swift one we wander through Camden past the newly converted apartment buildings and into the Electric Ballroom which thankfully hasn't been tarted up in the last 3 decades. Well not that I can tell. Gurr are already on blasting out a rock rhythm with plenty of attitude and thrashy guitars. Just read a Clash biography and refreshing how many women are now in rock bands compared to back in the 70s where only really the Slits blazed the trail for women playing instruments. Anyway that's another era and we're here today. Gurr go down pretty well and have an enthusiastic send off. Although they didn't get the mosh pit that they wanted. Ah well, this is a London crowd and we're both discerning and contrary. However, a great way to start the evening. Should catch them again when I'm not in dance mode anticipating the main act...

The Go! Team take the stage to rapturous applause. They launch into a non-stop set of relentless dance tunes. Unfortunately not many in the discerning and contrary crowd decided to dance. Generously I put it down to lack of room as it's a sell out. Or could be the miserable slightly ageing 30s something crowd. Anyways Debbie and I find enough room to jig about in and thoroughly enjoy ourselves. Even if a few around us would rather us stand arms folded and heads nodding. A little. If you know The Go! Team then lucky you and they played a range from across the albums. If you don't know them then Go! Listen and Go! Watch. A good start is their video to The Scene Between on YouTube. They're a mish mash-up of indie dance, hip hop, playground chants, soul (northern, Philly and miscellaneous) and at times a little bit thrashed. Soulful thrash not hard core punk thrash. Their collective approach really works with lots of guitar, brass section and two drums at times which is usually a good thing. Different singers with very different styles varies the style but it's all played at high energy with lots of movement. And when the songs start with recorders or the mouth organ oh man do the hairs tingle on the back of your neck. Those of us with hairy necks that is. Odd cos nothing they do you'd think is really out there and original but they don't sound like anyone else and the way they mix styles up does make for an original sound. Maybe I'm intellectualising so just go see them as they hit you where you can't intellectualise down in the feet. We are treated to an encore which they look like they're enjoying as much as we do and then we're disgorged into the Camden night. We avoid the tube crush by having a nightcap before trekking back down South. A great night and it's been a while since we've both been at the EB together.

Gurr

Gurr Gurr

Go! Team!

Go Team!

Go! Team!