THE GO! TEAM emerged out of Brighton in the early to mid 2000s in an explosion of noise, colour and life affirming glory and their 2004 debut album Thunder, Lightning, Strike encapsulated all of these facets in a cacophony of brilliant sounds. It’s a album that sounds as fresh today as it did when it first came out.
THE GO! TEAM was the brainchild of Ian Parton and what started as a project that consisted of Parton alongside his brother Gareth, after the release of Thunder, Lightning, Strike which was released on the Memphis Industries label, soon morphed into a full live band. This was solidified after the band were invited to play at a festival in Sweden with the group featuring longtime vocalist/MC Ninja alongside a selection of deft musicians that make up the group to this day, both live and on record.
Initially it was just Parton though, who “wanted to create music incorporating SONIC YOUTH style guitars, double Dutch chants, Bollywood soundtracks, old school hip hop and electro” and incorporates these elements to create a smorgasbord of eclectic sounds with THE GO! TEAM‘s Bandcamp page summarising it perfectly, “the first and solo practitioners of cheerleader punk. THE GO! TEAM‘s Thunder, Lightning, Strike is an explosion of colour and energy that evokes images of high school sports meets, inner-city summer days and the liberty of youth”.
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Thunder, Lightning, Strike is an aptly named album and it explodes from the get go and sounds like the soundtrack to a 70s action film with so many sonic influences working in tandem to create a listening experience that is instantly infectious and joyous and brims with energy from start to finish.
The album was nominated for the following years Mercury Music Prize (with the award ultimately being won by Antony And The Johnson’s I Am A Bird Now) and the fact that the album was nominated highlights the impact that Thunder, Lightning, Strike made.
The singles from the album, Junior Kickstart, The Power Is On, Ladyflash and Bottle Rocket made a big impression but the album is littered with songs that could also have been framed as single. This highlights what an incredible album this is, with tracks like the opening blast of Panther Dash, Feelgood By Numbers, Get It Together and the beautiful closing Everyone’s A V.I.P To Someone all sounding like instant classics. The album obviously is best listened to from start to finish to showcase it in all its technicolour glory.
The making of the album wasn’t without its troubles though and due to samples not being cleared, as Parton didn’t think it would make the impact it did, the original version (also known as the “illegal” version) was slightly different to the album that was rereleased in 2005 and contained reworking of the album tracks. Sample issues notwithstanding, whichever version of the album you listen to, the sublime vibe remains exactly the game and the results still sound timeless.
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With the album still blowing minds and putting smiles on people’s faces two decades after its release, THE GO! TEAM celebrated this momentous anniversary by embarking on a tour celebrating Thunder, Lightning, Strike. It goes without saying that the album still sounds as fresh and exciting as it did when it was originally released, and undoubtedly has a timeless quality about it. With the album recently reissued as a twentieth anniversary special edition as well, (which brilliantly recreates the original CD-R versions of the albums tracks alongside a selection of versions by Glasgow indie rock legends THE PASTELS and avant pop band THE ORIELLES) so a whole new generation can enjoy the legacy and continued celebration of the classic album.
Those live shows are part of what makes THE GO! TEAM so special. The songs from Thunder, Lightning, Strike sound sound as good when they are played in a live setting as they always have and having witnessed the group a number of times, they always deliver such a celebratory experience every single time, with the band looking as though they are having the best time of their lives in tandem with the very audience that is watching them. From start to finish, it feels like a nonstop party as the band blast out their set.
There is also a set of remixes of Thunder, Lightning, Strike tracks from the likes of Kevin Shields, RJD2, Hot Chip and Simian Mobile Disco that was released in 2006 that compliments the original greatly and is well worth checking out, as are more twentieth anniversary remixes by the likes of LOS BITCHOS, CORNERSHOP, LOUIE ZONG, and LILIEN ROSARIAN.
Thunder, Lightning, Strike was the beginning of it all and is an ultimate feelgood album, positively fizzing with life affirming triumph from the moment it dropped and twenty years on, it still sounds as good as it did when it first exploded into the conscious of listeners, and that’s is beyond doubt. This is an album that can cheer you up in an instant and put a big smile on your face, and you can’t help but get swept up in its positivity and joyously uplifting vibe as the album plays on.
So, as the nights start to draw in, crank up Thunder, Lightning, Strike and let the electric sounds of THE GO! TEAM explode like fireworks in the sky and light your life up with one of the most joyous, uplifting, original and comforting albums ever made.
Thunder, Lightning, Strike was originally released on September 13th, 2004 via Memphis Industries.
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