Needless to say it's another night full to the sweaty rafters. Predictable, really, as it's Bloc Party's last appearance in the UK within their current gig schedule and they greet the crowd with "so glad to be home, this is our last appearance for a while".
Holding my hands up now, when I first heard Bloc Party, I thought "token band". As in token black singer, especially in the musical genre they are associated with. After further listens to their album "Silent Alarm" and an incendiary show at Glastonbury, my whole perception and feeling towards the band changed - for the better.
This is a great sound, full of electro-pop-rock resonance. Being - sometimes fairly - compared to predecessors such as The Cure, Joy Division, Sonic Youth, Gang of Four, Bloc Party have taken those brittle post-punk staples and incorporated them into something distinctive that's all their own. With some lovely harmonies and dramatic vocals to boot, I can see why the press have had a field day in heralding Bloc Party as frontrunners in the new wave revival.
Besides, Bloc party seem like a down to earth bunch (what with 2 growing up in Essex, you'd have to be Butlah!!) who also possess a cosmopolitan feel too. The lead singer and guitarist is Kele Okereke: his voice is infectious and gripping, making for a real aural pleasure. Vocally, he's eclectic and interesting, swooping from choirboy high octane to sullen chatterbox blues, sounding better live than studio tweaked in my book. Matt Tong is behind the drums: very neat and in possession of a sometimes spartan style of skin thwacking which always melds so well with the guitars. Gordon Moakes is on bass, nice and deep and as punchy as basslines should always be. The other guitarist is Russell Lissack, whose fluid and cascading sound is truly sublime.
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As to the set itself, each number was greeted with roars akin to prisoners being thrown to the lions at the Colosseum: "Here We Are" being the obvious high point. Everything slotted into place like a holistic puzzle and it all spiralled into both a polished and hugely enjoyable night.
So mea culpa. Bloc Party are anything but a "token" band. Indeed, the only token here is from me and my appreciation. Look forward to next year, there will definitely be block bookings for these 4 chaps.
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