Wednesday 15/02/06 The Go! Team @ Carling Academy, Liverpool

**** Prozac, Valium or psychotherapy, any doctor who has a patient suffering acute depression should diagnose a course of The Go! Team.  If a dose a day of the feel-good gem that is ‘Thunder, Lightning, Strike’ doesn’t quite get the old serotonin levels soaring, then send them to see them in concert. For anyone who hasn’t witnessed The Go! Team live, it’s an uplifting spectacle every bit as colourful and vivacious as their wonderful debut album – even some glaring sound hitches that would rile most bands don’t quash the party.

Consuming the stage with their umpteen multi-national members, it’s a kaleidoscopic musical onslaught from the kick-off with ‘Panther Dash’. Despite the harmonica, the crux of most Go! Team songs, and Ninja’s scatty raps being almost inaudible for some reason, the band more than make up for it with their panache and energy. After the highs of the opener, The Go! Team show no hint of waning - the chanting, yappy ‘We Just Won’t Be Defeated’ has Ninja bouncing around like a schoolgirl who’s had far too many e numbered sweets, instrumental ‘Friendship Update’ is glorious, ‘Huddle Formation’ is suitably rampant and the Chi sung ‘Hold Yr Terror Close’ is even, well, poignant. Despite lacking the familiarity of ‘Thunder, Lightning, Strike’ tracks, the handful of new songs that are debuted tonight show that there are still great things to come from The Go! Team. Typically radiant, they all have us won over from the first listen.

Fortunately, the band save the best until last. Ultimate album track ‘Everyone’s A VIP To Someone’ sounding like the theme tune to some whimsical seventies TV show, is gorgeous despite the fact the band decide to ditch the final verse, while recent single ‘Ladyflash’ ensures things go out with a suitable uplifting bang. Enjoying a bit of a commercial boom at the moment, fingers crossed based on performances like this, The Go! Team progress on to even bigger and better things.