2007 has been the year that your favourite indie bands from the past few years have either rocketed to stardom or fallen to the brink of obscurity. Arcade Fire have apparently filled the arenas impressively, perhaps one of the few bands with a sound large enough to make the leap. Kings of Leon and Interpol have also been impressing the larger crowds, as they have grown into themselves as bands, and at any moment seem capable of becoming something greater than huge.
Arctic Monkeys have been flying the flag for Britain, but their enormity and success has come as no surprise, yet most other bands from this side of the pond haven't managed to make such a leap. The Rakes' star already seems to have faded, and Maximo Park will never sell out the theatres again, that's for sure. Little Man Tate may have made a bid for a gig at Blackpool Empress Ballrooms, but it's a given that this will be a career highlight.
Enter BLOC PARTY, who very sneakily have managed to become something much bigger than many of us had thought. They're known, of course, but until now it wasn't so obvious how well known they are. Second album 'A Weekend In The City' was released at the beginning of the year, and so many other things have happened in music in the interim that it's hard to tell how well Bloc Party have done. What seems to have happened over the year is that more and more people have switched on to their charms, and they're packing out some of this country's larger (but not quite arena-sized) venues, ready to have something of a party.
Of course, opening with 'Song For Clay' in Manchester is not a bad idea. One way to enamour yourself to a northern crowd is to sing “East London is a vampire/It sucks the joy right out of me.” It's also an example of what Bloc Party do best – songs that start slowly and then sucker-punching you will the full band wall of sound at five times the pace. It's not a single, but everyone is singing along. They clearly attract positive crowds. Not that this is a room full of recent converts, second song 'Positive Tension' gets an even better response, and the party is fully underway – one relentless set to follow.
Another thing that it's easy not to have noticed about Bloc Party is how many singles they have. 'Like Eating Glass,' 'This Modern Love' and 'Hunting For Witches' are treated like bona fida hits and very few songs AREN'T met with a rapturous response. Not only is the music often fun and frivolous, but the lyrics are usually very meaningful. The renditions don't stretch far from the originals, but they're formulaic anyway, and therefore don't need to.
|
The slower moments are few and far between. Weakest single to date “I Still Remember” is notable by it's absence. 'So Here We Are' makes the cut and is lush in the extreme, but it's the livelier numbers that are the focus of the evening. The statement of intent comes with the encore opener; recent single 'Flux,' which hopefully is a hint as to how Bloc Party move forward. A brilliant dance number, combined with an impressive laser show – already a classic for a single so recent. “That one was for the Mitsubishi crowd,” Kele informs us when it's finished, continuing his quest to become a poster-boy for ecstasy use. Their peers have faltered of late by not having done much to change their sound, whilst Bloc Party are always trying to do something a bit more than that.
The press have been at pains to present Bloc Party as a miserable band, and the lyrical content of the second album would support that. But tonight, they're clearly having a great time – Matt Tong is the backbone of the band with some of the best drumming in the country at the moment, the performances are tight, faithful, and very infectious. Kele is the star, though. Full on crowd interaction and plenty of joking around make this as intimate as you can be in an old railway station (without breaking the law). Whilst new-rave funsters Klaxons have banned Glowsticks from their gigs, Kele is hoping that people still have a few to chuck around by the time 'Helicopter' closes proceedings.
If you've never seen Bloc Party live, make sure you make the trip. When you a put a smile on the face behind all of those songs, it makes a huge difference. I think the crowds on this tour will see Bloc Party for who they really are, and will be looking forward to seeing what happens next. For those that would prefer things to remain a little more dour, and for them to look like this whole fame thing sucks, well Editors hit the arenas early next year.
|
