Good to Go Tour
The Good To Go Tour is a British multi-artist package concert tour that features a mix of established acts from the American punk/rock/ska/pop genres and rising UK bands.
History
The first Good To Go Tour took place in October 2005 and presented Southern California's rock superheroes, The Aquabats, in their first tour of England alongside Never Heard Of It, one of the America's most successful wholly independent rock bands. The bill was completed by Army of Freshmen (who joined for a few dates following a two-week tour with the Grammy nominated Bowling for Soup), and Sonic Boom Six, Manchester's genre-defying female-fronted rockers.
The tour aims to deliver exciting and diverse line ups so that fans can learn to rely on the Good To Go Tour name to bring them the best in American and British music. "The whole point of this tour," said founder Ed Sellers, "is to have something that fans can look forward to, that they know will bring them interesting and fun line ups. The choices of bands are diverse enough to bring together fans from different musical backgrounds, but close enough that everyone can enjoy an entertaining and exciting show and maybe find a band that they didn't know a lot about before."
The Good To Go Tour also promises to stay true to its support of smaller, independent British bands. As an outlet to offer upcoming UK acts the opportunity to share the stage with established American acts that they might have been influenced by, the tour has given local bands in many towns some great opportunities. It works both ways too, allowing the tour an access to the street level promotion and enthusiastic word of mouth that can be invaluable in building a local buzz amongst fans, particularly with the advent of social networking sites such as MySpace.
The beginning
Whilst not called a Good To Go Tour, 2004's Brand New Hero Records Tour was a precursor to what eventually became the Good To Go Tour. In September/October 2004, this twelve date UK tour featured The Littlest Man Band, Suburban Legends and Army Of Freshmen, who made a return the following year as part of the first Good To Go Tour.
- 19/09/2004 Nottingham, England - Rock City
- 20/09/2004 Sheffield, England - Corporation
- 21/09/2004 Southampton, England - Joiners
- 22/09/2004 Northampton, England - Soundhaus
- 23/09/2004 Liverpool, England - Liverpool Carling Academy 2
- 24/09/2004 Birmingham, England - Birmingham Carling Academy 2
- 25/09/2004 Manchester, England - Satan's Hollow
- 26/09/2004 Leicester, England - Charlotte
- 28/09/2004 Norwich, England - Ferry Boat Inn
- 29/09/2004 Glasgow, Scotland - Cathouse
- 30/09/2004 Milton Keynes, England - Pitz
- 01/10/2004 London, England - Underworld
Tours
Good To Go Tour 2005
In October 2005 the inaugural Good To Go Tour ran between the 20th-29th inclusive, featuring:
- The Aquabats!
- Never Heard Of It
- Army Of Freshmen
- Sonic Boom Six
The tour took in the following dates:
- 20/10/2005 Leicester, England - Charlotte (The Aquabats!, Never Heard Of It, Sonic Boom Six)
- 21/10/2005 Camberley, England - Camberley Football Club (The Aquabats!, Never Heard Of It, Sonic Boom Six, Three Quarters, Leading Brand)
- 22/10/2005 Norwich, England - Ferry Boat Inn (The Aquabats!, Never Heard Of It, Sonic Boom Six, Fun!Yeah!, Flick The Switch)
- 23/10/2005 Nottingham, England - Junktion 7 (The Aquabats!, Never Heard Of It, Grown At Home, The Chernobyl Children)
- 24/10/2005 Portsmouth, England - Wedgewood Rooms (The Aquabats!, Never Heard Of It, Sonic Boom Six)
- 25/10/2005 Yeovil, England - Ski Lodge (The Aquabats!, Never Heard Of It, Grown At Home)
- 26/10/2005 London, England - Carling Academy Islington (The Aquabats!, Never Heard Of It, Army Of Freshmen)
- 27/10/2005 Liverpool, England - Liverpool Carling Academy 2 (The Aquabats!, Never Heard Of It, Army Of Freshmen)
- 28/10/2005 Manchester, England - Satan's Hollow (The Aquabats!, Never Heard Of It, Army Of Freshmen)
- 29/10/2005 Northampton, England - Roadmender (The Aquabats!, Never Heard Of It, Army Of Freshmen, The Chernobyl Children)
Good To Go Tour 2006
July and August 2006 saw the second Good To Go Tour, featuring a line-up of:
- The Aquabats!
- Allister
- The Riverclub
- Failsafe
Failsafe - whilst not playing the entire tour - played the Carling Academy dates and a select few. The tour ran from 25 July to 7 August inclusive.
- 25/07/2006 Bristol, England - Bristol Carling Academy 2 (The Aquabats!, Allister, The Riverclub, Failsafe)
- 26/07/2006 Cardiff, Wales - Cardiff University (The Aquabats!, Allister, MC Lars, The Riverclub)
- 27/07/2006 Yeovil, England - Ski Lodge (The Aquabats!, Allister, The Riverclub, Mumrah)
- 28/07/2006 Camberley, England - Agincourt (The Aquabats!, Allister, The Riverclub, Save The Lecture, Against The Odd)
- 29/07/2006 Bournemouth, England - Opera House (The Aquabats!, Allister, MC Lars, The Riverclub)
- 31/07/2006 Leeds, England - Josephs Well (The Aquabats!, Allister, The Riverclub, Sonic Boom Six, Mumrah)
- 01/08/2006 Manchester, England - Jilly's Rockworld (The Aquabats!, Allister, The Riverclub, Failsafe)[1]
- 02/08/2006 Edinburgh, Scotland - Studio 24 (The Aquabats!, Allister, The Riverclub)
- 03/08/2006 Newcastle upon Tyne, England - Newcastle Carling Academy 2 (The Aquabats!, Allister, The Riverclub, Failsafe)
- 04/08/2006 Birmingham, England - Birmingham Carling Academy 2 (The Aquabats!, Allister, The Riverclub, Failsafe)
- 05/08/2006 London, England - Carling Academy Islington (The Aquabats!, Allister, The Riverclub, Failsafe)
- 06/08/2006 Portsmouth, England - Wedgewood Rooms (The Aquabats!, Allister, The Riverclub, Not Advised)
- 07/08/2006 Norwich, England - Norwich Arts Centre (The Aquabats!, Allister, The Riverclub)
Good To Go Tour 2007
The third tour took place in May 2007, with a line-up of:
Army Of Freshmen was originally scheduled to play all fifteen of the dates but had to pull out of the final five due to other tour commitments.
The tour was scheduled for the following dates:[2]
- 03/05/2007 Oxford, England - Zodiac (Wheatus, MC Lars, Army of Freshmen, Punchline)
- 04/05/2007 Yeovil, England - Ski Lodge (Wheatus, MC Lars, Army of Freshmen, Punchline)
- 05/05/2007 Newport, Wales - TJs (Wheatus, MC Lars, Army of Freshmen, Punchline, Ouzo 38)
- 06/05/2007 Southampton, England - Nexus (Wheatus, MC Lars, Army of Freshmen, Punchline)
- 07/05/2007 Bristol, England - Bristol Carling Academy 2 (Wheatus, MC Lars, Army of Freshmen, Punchline)
- 08/05/2007 Wrexham, Wales - Central Station (Wheatus, MC Lars, Army of Freshmen, Punchline)
- 09/05/2007 Manchester, England - Music Box (Wheatus, MC Lars, Army of Freshmen, Punchline, Never Say Die)
- 10/05/2007 Newcastle upon Tyne, England - Newcastle Carling Academy 2 (Wheatus, MC Lars, Army of Freshmen, Punchline)
- 11/05/2007 Birmingham, England - Birmingham Carling Academy 2 (Wheatus, MC Lars, Army of Freshmen, Punchline)
- 12/05/2007 London, England - Carling Academy Islington (Wheatus, MC Lars, Army of Freshmen, Punchline)
- 13/05/2007 Derby, England - First Floor Club (Wheatus, MC Lars, Failsafe, Punchline, 3 Storeys High)
- 14/05/2007 Leicester, England - Charlotte (Wheatus, MC Lars, Punchline, 3 Storeys High, Glitch)
- 15/05/2007 Edinburgh, Scotland - Exchange (Wheatus, MC Lars, Punchline, 3 Storeys High)
- 16/05/2007 Leeds, England - Joseph's Well (Wheatus, MC Lars, Punchline, Make it Better Later)
- 17/05/2007 Norwich, England - Waterfront (Wheatus, MC Lars, Punchline, The Escaped)
Good To Go Tour 2008(i)
The first Good To Go Tour of 2008 took place in February, with a line-up of:
The tour took in the following dates:
- 07/02/2008 Norwich, England - Waterfront (MxPx, Punchline, The Get Go)
- 08/02/2008 Birmingham, England - Birmingham Carling Academy 2 (MxPx, Punchline, The Get Go)
- 09/02/2008 Newcastle upon Tyne, England - Newcastle Carling Academy 2 (MxPx, Punchline, The Get Go)
- 10/02/2008 Manchester, England - Manchester Academy 3 (MxPx, Punchline, The Get Go)
- 12/02/2008 London, England - Carling Academy Islington (MxPx, Punchline, The Get Go)
- 13/02/2008 Portsmouth, England - Wedgewood Rooms (MxPx, Punchline, The Get Go)
- 14/02/2008 Oxford, England - Zodiac (MxPx, Punchline, The Get Go)
- 15/02/2008 Yeovil, England - Orange Box (MxPx, Punchline, The Get Go)
- 16/02/2008 Stoke on Trent, England - Sugarmill (MxPx, Punchline, The Get Go)
- 17/02/2008 Glasgow, Scotland - Garage (MxPx, Punchline, The Get Go)
MxPx then departed from the tour. Punchline and The Get Go continued for a further four shows.
- 18/02/2008 Wrexham, Wales - Central Station (Punchline, The Get Go, In City Light, A59)
- 19/02/2008 Newport, Wales - TJs (Punchline, The Get Go)
- 20/02/2008 Bournemouth, England - iBar (Punchline, The Get Go, El Paso De Cebra)
- 21/02/2008 Swindon, England - Bar 12 (Punchline, The Get Go)
Good To Go Tour 2008(ii)
The second Good To Go Tour of 2008 took place in July, and featured:
- We Are the Ocean
- Canterbury
- All Forgotten
The tour took in the following dates:
- 03/07/08 Peterborough, England - The Met Lounge (We Are The Ocean, Canterbury, All Forgotten)
- 04/07/08 Birmingham, England - Birmingham Carling Academy 2 (We Are The Ocean, Canterbury, All Forgotten)
- 05/07/08 York, England - The Duchess (We Are The Ocean, Canterbury, All Forgotten)
- 06/07/08 Newcastle upon Tyne, England - Newcastle Carling Academy 2 (We Are The Ocean, Canterbury, All Forgotten)
- 07/07/08 Glasgow, Scotland - Barfly (We Are The Ocean, Canterbury, All Forgotten)
- 08/07/08 Aberdeen, Scotland - Drummonds (We Are The Ocean, Canterbury, All Forgotten)
- 10/07/08 Liverpool, England - Liverpool Carling Academy 2 (We Are The Ocean, Canterbury, All Forgotten)
- 11/07/08 Sheffield, England - Sheffield Carling Academy 2 (We Are The Ocean, Canterbury, All Forgotten)
- 12/07/08 Yeovil, England - Orange Box (We Are The Ocean, Canterbury, All Forgotten)
- 13/07/08 Oxford, England - Oxford Carling Academy (We Are The Ocean, Canterbury, All Forgotten)
- 14/07/08 Cardiff, Wales - Barfly (We Are The Ocean, Canterbury, All Forgotten)
- 15/07/08 Bristol, England - Britsol Carling Academy 2 (We Are The Ocean, Canterbury, All Forgotten)
- 16/07/08 London, England - Carling Academy Islington (We Are The Ocean, Canterbury, All Forgotten)
- 17/07/08 Southampton, England - Joiners (We Are The Ocean, Canterbury, All Forgotten)
Good To Go Tour 2009
In April 2009 there was a three date 'Funsize' Good To Go Tour. The short length was due to The Aquabats! only being able to play three UK shows before their appearance at Groezrock Festival in Belgium.[3] With support from Allbright at the London show only, this three date tour featured:
The tour took in the following dates:
- 14/04/09 Leeds, England - The Cockpit (The Aquabats, MC Lars, Failsafe)
- 15/04/09 Glasgow, Scotland - The Cathouse (The Aquabats, MC Lars, Failsafe)
- 16/04/09 London, England - O2 Academy Islington (The Aquabats, MC Lars, Failsafe, Allbright)
Other Tours
As well as the Good To Go Tour and the 2004 Brand New Hero Records Tour, the organisers of the Good To Go Tour have also put together other tours.
Army of Freshmen UK Headline Tour 2008(i)
In June 2008, Army of Freshmen embarked on their first UK headline tour, taking in the following dates:
- 02/06/08 Manchester, England - Music Box (Army of Freshmen, Failsafe, Smudge)
- 03/06/08 Portsmouth, England - Wedgewood Rooms (Army of Freshmen, Last Letter Read, Splendid Eddie, Hung Up)
- 04/06/08 Wrexham, Wales - Central Station (Army of Freshmen, A59, XMS3, Sliced Peach)
- 05/06/08 Newport, Wales - TJs (Army of Freshmen, Panz Agenda, Winch House, Sliced Peach)
- 06/06/08 Tamworth, England - Palace (Army of Freshmen, Frontline, Falling Faster, Kills With One Bite)
- 07/06/08 Peterborough, England - The Met Lounge (Army of Freshmen, White Clouds and Gunfire, Flick 66, Frontline)
- 08/06/08 Leeds, England - The Cockpit (Army of Freshmen, Mike TV, Make it Better Later, Second Chance, Fat Phace)
- 09/06/08 Glasgow, Scotland - The Cathouse (Army of Freshmen, DB68, 3 Storeys High)
- 10/06/08 London, England - The Underworld (Zebrahead, Army of Freshmen, Sherwood, Go:Audio)
- 11/06/08 Norwich, England - The Queen Charlotte (Army of Freshmen, Mike TV, Lost?, Spot)
- 12/06/08 Newcastle upon Tyne, England - Newcastle University (Army of Freshmen, Midterm Break, Astro Chimp)
Army of Freshmen UK Headline Tour 2008(ii)
In November 2008, Army of Freshmen return on their second headline tour of the UK, organised under the Good To Go Tour umbrella, taking in the following dates:
- 13/11/08 Peterborough, England - The Met Lounge
- 14/11/08 Glasgow, Scotland - The Cathouse
- 15/11/08 Edinburgh, Scotland - Studio 24
- 16/11/08 Birmingham, England - Birmingham Carling Academy 2
- 17/11/08 Manchester, England - Manchester Academy 3
- 18/11/08 Wrexham, Wales - Central Station
- 19/11/08 London, England - The Underworld
- 20/11/08 Newport, Wales - TJs
- 21/11/08 Swindon, England - Furnace
- 22/11/08 Leeds, England - Rios
- 23/11/08 Southampton, England - Talking Heads