Reviews

Call me facetious, but I've been really pleased that Academy 1 has been under reconstruction. By deferring gigs to the The Ritz, thousands of music fans have experienced the forgotten charm and quirk of one of our city's greatest venues. Exploring the labyrinthine basement corridors, hanging out in the balcony for a breather and pounding the sprung ballroom dance floor all add to the endurableness of the gig experience.

The moment the 'Team coyly appear on stage, a wave of smiles floods the room and a feeling of what could only be described as pure positivity begins to rise and swell. Ordinarily, the front few rows of audience at gigs are a competitive battleground, with bodies wrestling for vantage points and tuts, groans and sniping remarks mingling in amongst the cheers and music.

Not so tonight, where mutual respect seems to permeate every body as people make way and care for fellow Go! Team fans. Everybody just wants to have a good time and soak up the positive vibes floating off stage, led by the mighty Ninja.

A powerhouse of confidence, lead vocalist Ninja holds the entire audience in the palm of her hand. Pulling the crowd in from the word go, she boosts our egos, makes us laugh, splits us for a bit of singalong participation and generally riles us up and works us hard. Resembling a keep fit instructor, her constant athletic stage moves keep the rest of the band in pace, jumping and spinning like e-number basted kids at an 80s birthday party.

The Go! Team's formula of 70s funk grooves, double drums and rapping is relieved, at times throughout the set, by more stripped back numbers featuring Chi and Kaori on vocals, with kiddie xylophones and recorders to boot. At times, the musicianship is quite loose and over simplistic, but this is somehow forgivable and part and parcel of the over enthusiastic charm of this unusual band.

In world Go! Team, the Super 8 evidence shows that it's 1979 and times are tough. We're down on our luck but we don't care. We make our own fun skipping ropes, dancing and making music. We leave aglow with grins and a feeling that all we need is love.