This week Victorian outfit The Go Set will kick off their album launch tour. Their latest and fifth full length album is a self-titled affair and will be released on March 9th. They’ll make stops in SA, VIC, TAS, NSW, ACT and QLD on the run which includes both pub and festival dates. It all begins Friday night in Adelaide. A video clip for the first single ‘Drums Of Chelsea‘ has been released, you can check it, their tour dates, and Hotseat answers from singer Justin by expanding this post.
THE BASICS
Name : Justin Keenan
Band : The Go Set
Job In Band : Singer/songwriter/guitar
Website Address : www.thegoset.com
HOME
Hometown : Ocean Grove
Hometown is best known for : Surfing
Best venue in your hometown : The Nash in Geelong
Favourite show you’ve seen in your hometown : Bloodduster
Favourite show you’ve played in your hometown : All shows in Geelong are fun. It’s like playing a house party.
THE BAND
How did the band first come to exist? Formed in 2003 with myself and Mark Moran. We both grew up listening to lots of folk music when we were kids. Both of us come from Irish / Scottish backgrounds, so folk sounds were pretty natural. We also both loved the Clash, Social D, and Bruce Springsteen – so it seemed a natural progression to want to make the type of music that we do.
How long has the band been going? Nine years this year.
Any particular story behind the name? Nothing really worth telling.
What’s your most recent release? Tell us a little about it… We have a new self-titled album. It’s our seventh release, and our fifth full length studio album. I guess that it’s slightly different to previous releases in that we’ve been listening to a lot more straight up punk rock over the last year – stuff like Against Me, Gaslight Anthem etc as well as our older influences.
Got a personal stand out achievement of your band to date? It’s still a work in progress. Every year we seem to have a better moment somewhere along the line than we did the previous year. Things seem to be really taking off for us in Europe, so that’s really exciting.
OFF THE STAGE
What was your first introduction to music that made you think seriously about playing it? Weddings Parties Anything in 1993, or Green Day in 1994 were both amazing experiences.
Any particular band / album or song that you personally credit as a major influence? Probably initially it was that Green Day gig. So much energy, and I just wanted to be a part of something like that. I couldn’t even play an instrument at the time, and I remember saying to my brother that thast was what I was going to do from now on. He thought that was the funniest shit he’d ever heard (I’d had about ten beers). Nevertheless, ten years later I’m travelling around playing music.
Your first band name, and what style did you play? Eddie Would Go. It was rubbish.
Most prized music related item you own? My new Maton guitar. It’s the best musical thing I’ve ever owned.
When you’re not doing band related stuff, what are you usually found doing? Surfing, and watching Collingwood.
The thing you most look forward to just before a tour is… One last night of 8 hours sleep, and ‘the last supper’ of veggies.
The thing you least look forward to before a tour is… being tired and hungover. Every day.
ON THE STAGE
When on offer, what’s your one must have item on the rider? Really?? I don’t think I can answer that on this website can I?
Favourite place you’ve toured… and why? Germany is our best tour spot. Great venues, decent crowds, and the best quality beer and schnapps anywhere in the world.
Most memorable show you’ve played? and why? Myfest in Berlin two years ago. About ten thousand people as far as you could see, as the sun was setting over Kreuzberg. I’ll never forget it.
Got a favourite song to play live? Of course, I love playing new songs. Also – we do a cover of Billy Bragg’s ‘Great Leap Forwards’. I love playing that.
Any embarrassing on stage moments come to mind? Falling off the stage or being dropped on your head whilst crowd surfing.. I think everyone in our band has done it at least once.
Any pre-show rituals? Yeah – don’t eat too much. I always feel like sleeping if I do that. A quick Jager bomb seems to have a much better effect.
What do you find is the hardest aspect of touring in a band today? Festivals are killing pub gigs, and inadvertently killing the entire live music scene. Combine that with the fact that kids want music for free, and I think that it’s more difficult than ever before for bands to tour. There are less and less career bands a lot more pop idols that sell a million singles and then disappear. It’s really disheartening at times.
RIGHT NOW
Last song you listened to? Actually The Pogues. If I should fall from Grace with God (can’t wait for their tour!)
Last album you acquired? Gaslight Anthem
Which band or album is currently on high rotation? There’s a few. I’ve actually recently discovered lots of smaller Melbourne bands that I really like – The Smith St Band, Fear Like Us.
Tell us an up and coming band or artist you think we should go and listen to right now? As above. Also – I really enjoy Between the Wars
What’s on the cards for the next few months for the band? We go around Australia until May 4th, then we have 2 weeks off and then head to Europe for the summer festival season. After that I have a solo album to put out.
IF ONLY…
You can pick any one album for your band to cover in full, what would it be and why? Rancid ‘…And out come the Wolves’. Possibly the best punk rock album of all time.
You can pick any one band / artist to cover one of your albums in full, what would it be, and why? Flogging Molly. They are amazing players and would make our songs sound better than we do.
One band you wish you were able to see live but never had the chance? Nirvana
One venue you have yet to play that you would love to? Haha… Wembley?
The chance comes up to fill in for a member of a band for one tour, which band would it be, and why? It would have to be Angus Young wouldn’t it? Seriously – every rock move in the book.
A headline tour overseas comes up, tell us two bands you’d take along to support your band. The Real McKenzies (for the sheer mentalness) and The Pogues (also for the sheer mentalness). Probably likely that we’d be on first though. Just a guess.
PLUG TIME
Got any last words? This is our fifth studio album. It’s independent. Come to a gig, enjoy a beer with us, and buy the album. Simple.
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THE GO SET
FEBRUARY
24th – Crown and Anchor, Adelaide (Fringe Festival)
25th – National Hotel, Geelong
MARCH
3rd – Boolarra Festival, La Trobe Valley
9th – Brisbane Hotel, Hobart
10th – St Marys Hotel, St Marys
11th – Bridge Hotel, Forth
15th – Clancys, Fremantle
16th – Indi Bar, Perth
17th – Nukara Festival, Geraldton
18th – St Patricks Festival, Hyde Park Sydney
APRIL
6th – National Folk Festival, Canberra
7th – National Folk Festival, Canberra
8th – National Folk Festival, Canberra
11th – Railway Hotel, Byron Bay
12th – Beergardens, Surfers Paradise
13th – Kings Beach Tavern, Caloundra
14th – Prince of Wales, Brisbane
20th – Southern Cross Club, Canberra
21st – The Sando, Newtown
MAY
4th – Gershwin Room, The Espy, St Kilda
Further details on individual shows available [Here].
