THE GO! TEAM INTERVIEW

A few months ago I caught up with Ian from THE GO! TEAM to ask him a few questions about the band’s busy year in America for WUW magazine.

 

DIY band, The Go! Team are back! Fresh from their American tour with CSS and a summer of festival gigs the Brighton six piece have returned to the UK ready to make more mish mash music for the masses.

 

Having had a wave of success with the first two albums Thunder, Lightning and Strike and Proof of Youth, -Infact if you haven’t heard the single Ladyflash you were probably living 2005 in a cave! The band hopes to follow up this success by continuing to experiment with more “cut ‘n’ paste” sampling on their third album which is being mashed, squeezed and purated this very second.

 

Roz Brabner caught up with team leader, Ian for a lovely chat about the Venga Boys, Grandma’s in kitchens and being second best to Mary J Blige. Bitch.

 

ROZ: You’ve just comeback from a summer of festivals how was that then?

 

IAN: Yeah – it was a regular world tour – we’re talking Korea, Japan, Sweden, Russia, Brazil, US, Argentina – hopefully we’ll get to do Guildfest next year.

 

ROZ: You also co-headlined a tour of the US and Canada with CSS…

 

IAN: It was a good tour and a good match.  I subconsciously saw it as a showdown – some nights we beat em, some nights they beat us. But they’re a hot band – a real unit.

 

ROZ: Proof of Youth was released too much critical acclaim, The Observer branded you with the term `genius´- do you think the third album can live up to this success and what should fans expect with your next instalment?

 

IAN: there was a bit of anticipation for the 2nd one but I feel like the heat is completely off for the 3rd record – there is a lot of freedom to go in any direction.  I want the next stuff to be even more cut n paste – like your switching the channels on a radio or something – schizo but still melodic. I don’t think anyone has really explored the idea of songs that sound like they’re stitched together from 10 different songs.

 

ROZ: I read somewhere you have a passion for car chase horn music…

 

IAN: Things like blaxploitation films, David Axelrod, even the Rocky theme have been an influence – I kinda think of music in images and I always imagine stuff like motorbikes and girl gangs.  For me brass can be the worst sound – a la Kenny G – or the most exciting sound with major force and I always thought it would be interesting to combine that with distorting drums and noisy guitars.

 

ROZ: You’ve received some really positive press from US magazines such as Rolling Stone does this mean your big business state side?

 

IAN: I guess you´d call us a cult band over there – like we are everywhere – when we first played there 3 years ago we had sell out shows thanks to Pitchfork bigging us up.  America is a funny old place – we literally go from playing to 50 people one night in Indianapolis to 30,000 in Lollapolooza the next. We were due to do the Letterman show but got bumped for Mary J Blige  the day before.  We were gonna have that Paul Shafer prick playing along with us. Fuck em.

 

ROZ: I read Thunder Lightning Strike was recorded in your parent’s kitchen; did this cause any practical cooking problems?

 

IAN: My Grandma would occasionally come in to make a cup of tea and I’d have to do the take over again. I’m a big fan of home recording – I think the feel comes through on the recording somehow – I like the idea of recording in garages and gymnasiums and hate the idea of posh studios.  I think the `homemade´ feeling is something that carries through everything go team – artwork, videos, and all that.

 

ROZ: What is your take on the whole download malarkey? What was the reason for releasing Milk Crisis as a free download in July?

 

IAN: You’ll never beat vinyl – downloading always feels a bit sanitised to me but  ya know you’ve gotta get down with da kids.  We figured it would be a nice thing to give milk crisis away for free – good karma and all that – and people nick music now anyway. 

 

ROZ: Do you think it is physically possible for audiences to sit down during one of your sets?

 

IAN: I hope not.  We measure a gig by how much movements going on in the crowd.  I always want chaos from a gig so I prefer sweaty little venues than festivals any day.  I think we jump around so much to make the crowd feel guilty about standing still. Normally by the last song we get ‘em. People call us a party band but that always reminds me of the Venga Boys or something. 

 

ROZ: What bands are you listening to at the moment?

 

IAN: Deerhoof, Camera Obscura, Blackmoth super rainbow, Venga Boys

 

ROZ: Musical highlight this year?

 

IAN: Seeing the My Bloody Valentine warm up at the ICA.  On the Go Team front maybe Lollapolooza in Chicago

 

RO: Your often referred to as the band leader, does this mean you bark orders at the rest of the team?

 

IAN: I try not to be too James Brown about it.  So far I’ve written the songs and the go team sound started off as all my favourite stuff jammed together and I just wanted other folks to take it to the stage with.  So it’s kinda my project. Maybe its like challenge Anneka and I’m Anneka. 

 

ROZ: How did you stay trim whilst touring the country of big portions?

 

IAN: Thrashing around on stage is the nearest I’ve ever come to a workout – I’ve never been to a gym in my life and don’t think I ever will.  I used to run away from the ball in PE. When we come off stage the whole band looks absolutely chimped.  Maybe I should start taking steroids.

 

ROZ: Finally… WHAT YOU WANT?

 

IAN: Musically to do something sonically kickass, plus have a holiday in New England and watch trees change colour.