The Go! Team: Proof of Youth
By Laura Cooper The Go! Team brought a one-two punch to New York City’s Bowery Ballroom: a new album entitle Proof of Youth, which is propelling the band into the mainstream, along with a live show that had its MC, Ninja, almost in the crowd dancing herself. “It’s always daunting coming to a New York City,” Ninja said to the crowd of sweaty concertgoers. “Some bands don’t want to play here. They think New Yorkers are too cool for school!” The crowd laughed and applauded as Ninja continued, “Not for us—we love to have fun and see the crowd dance!” The audience definitely danced. The Bowery Ballroom is a relatively friendly place for bands to play, and the band made it feel as though every song was dedicated to a group of 20 people instead of the hundreds at their sold out show. The Brighton, U.K., sextet’s music is a unique blend: a rapper, cheerleaders and lots of guitars. Allmusic.com characterizes the band’s sound as “a stunning blend of indie rock guitars, police show themes, hip-hop beats, and schoolyard chants.” Ninja took the stage wearing pink velour shorts and a matching tank top, contributing to the band’s quasi-aerobic theme. Members of the audience came dressed as if they were ready to run a 5-K in short shorts, tank tops, knee high socks and sweatbands in retina-singeing colors, despite the cold weather. The Go! Team gets its name from the crews that clean up plane crash wreckages. It has been busy making a name for itself in its native England but it turned out that the group had also garnered success in the States. It was featured as one of Rolling Stone magazine’s “breaking” bands in the September issue. The Go! Team released its third album, Proof of Youth, in September, following up the band’s highly respected sophomore release, Thunder, Lightning, Strike three years ago. The unconventional makeup of the group, which includes two drummers coupled with background music that sounds as if it had come from an old television show, made it easy for the band to bring its peppy sound to the ears of those looking for something truly original. The music is a staple in all sorts of unexpected places, from countless store soundtracks to a Honda civic commercial. Odds are you’ve heard their songs while walking in and out of stores in the mall. The band consists of six members, including Ninja, the front woman and rapper who joined The Go! Team after answering an ad placed by band member Ian Parton, whom Rolling Stone has dubbed the “mastermind” of the project. Parton, a guitarist, originally put the group together as a touring opener for Franz Ferdinand and sculpted its distinctive sound in the kitchen of his parents’ home. Other members include Sam Book, Chi “Ky” Fukami Taylor, Jaime Bell and Kaori Tsuchida, all play instruments ranging from keyboards to banjos. Members frequently exchange instruments, frantically jogging across stage between songs to get ready for their next piece. The constant churning keeps the songs new and rousing without getting tiresome. Ninja has a stage presence unmatched by other front women in the indie-rock/indie-electronic genre. At one point she thanked an audience member with “freakishly long arms” for dancing through the opening bands. The excited man garnered applause and cheers while the spotlight shone on him. Proof of Youth can be an attack on the senses at first listen. Unlike many bands, the Go! Team has multiple singers. It features both Ninja’s rapping coupled with Taylor and Tsuchida’s singing and cheering after unintelligible yet uplifting lyrics. Understanding the lyrics is often secondary, as the music alone is enough to get a listener pumped. The group’s first single off Proof of Youth, “Grip Like a Vice,” is well suited for the gym, highlighting Ninja’s raps on a driving beat that keeps the listener interested after the words are gone. Other such pieces suitable for exercising include “Doing It Right,” exemplifying an easy yet catchy chorus of “Do it! Do it! All right!” as well as “Fake ID,” showcasing a fun, upbeat tempo. The Go! Team’s innovation and vigor keep listeners coming back for more. The band appeals to the fun-loving yet often pretentious indie-rock fan base. It has the potential to be the next Interpol, packing arenas full of Red Bull-guzzling teenagers flopping around in a mess of strobe lights and noise. |
