As the geography fans among us will know, there are precisely 195 countries in the world.  It’s a near-impossible task to visit them all, let alone perform in them; nonetheless UK band The Go! Team appear to be having a good crack at it, and Ian Parton, the band’s leader, casually reels off tour destinations with all the nonchalance of a seasoned backpacker.

“We’ve played in China – that was pretty interesting,” he reminisces. “There were no venues for us to play in, no support bands to play with us, there was no concept of discussion of music. But then we did the shows; we had stage-divers, people on shoulders, it was just really cool.”

“We’ve done [South] Korea, Singapore, Ukraine, Brazil, Mexico…,” he continues, barely acknowledging more ‘run-of-the-mill’ destinations in Europe, the US and Japan. “Nowhere super exotic.” So where exactly would qualify for super exotic status?  “North Korea,” he laughs. “Practically impossible!”

Exotic or not, Australia will soon be getting a taste of the band’s frenetic live show, as The Go! Team tour the nation in support of third album Rolling Blackouts. The hyperactive blend of indie-rock, pop, samples and hip-hop that characterised previous albums Thunder, Lighting, Strike and Proof Of Youth is ever-present, yet Rolling Blackouts also heads into uncharted territory.  And with guests like Satomi Matsuzaki from Deerhoof and Bethany ‘Best Coast’ Cosentino adding their talents to the mix, the album veers across musical styles with the giddy enthusiasm that is frequently missing from music these days.

“I wanted to just get more into classic pop songs, but with a fucked up approach – more of a pop song that isn’t so obvious,” Parton explains.  “This record spans lots of different kinds of stuff, from solitary piano songs to 30-piece brass bands to street corner early hip-hop kinda stuff with a Boards Of Canada dimension… All sorts of shit going on!”

Whilst the The Go! Team’s albums are intricate, complex and multi-layered affairs, the live shows are simply an explosion of raw energy.  “Often people come to the gigs thinking ‘How are they going to do it live?’, and then leave thinking ‘Wow, I wish they could capture that live thing on record’,” Parton explains.  “We come off stage absolutely wrecked. Every night we play like it’s our last gig.”

This hypothetical ‘last gig’ has been the subject of recent speculation. “This might be the last year that we play as a band in this set-up… or for a while,” Parton confesses. “We can’t keep playing Lady Flash when we’re 40.” But given his obsession with music – and with plenty more countries still to visit – Parton is certain he’ll be making music for a long time yet.

Catch The Go! Team on their  May tour:

BRISBANE Tuesday 3 May @ The Zoo with special guests Purple Sneakers DJs
Tickets available via www.handsometours.com, Oztix 1300 762 545, www.thezoo.com.au and all Oztix outlets

SYDNEY Wednesday 4 May @ Metro Theatre with special guests Purple Sneakers DJs
Tickets available via www.handsometours.com, Metro Box Office (02) 9550 3666 & Ticketek www.ticketek.com.au or 132 849

MELBOURNE Tuesday 10 May  @The Corner Hotel with special guests Purple Sneakers DJs
Tickets available via www.handsometours.com, Corner Box Office (57 Swan St Richmond 12pm-8pm Mon-Sat) Ph: (03) 9427 9198  or online www.cornerhotel.com & Polyester Records (City & Fitzroy Stores)

PERTH Friday 13 May  @The Bakery with special guests Purple Sneakers DJs
Tickets available via www.handsometours.com, www.nowbaking.com.au, www.heatseeker.com.au & Heatseeker retail outlets