Finally we got into the forum - out of the cold and into the relative warmth. Obviously we gravitated towards where Russell would be standing… at previous Bloc Party gigs I've always been in front of Gordy or Kele, so a bit of variety was nice!

Support act wise, Battle weren’t that bad, a bit boring live, and to be honest I spent the whole time gazing at Andrew Kendall because I was just in awe, really. Chromeo, the second support act, were rather odd. Bloody hell… they were very odd indeed. Digital rock, I think my friend refered to it as. One of the guys was wearing a red bandana and black trilby combo which was entertaining, to say the least.

Then Bloc Party came on stage. I love their live shows, it’s where they really come into their own. Russell saw us down at the front and smiled and then he went all shy and hid behind his hair, which is possibly the sweetest

thing you will ever see.

Before they played 'This Modern Love' Kele said ‘This is for the girls who were here at 3 o’clock’ - I think you’ll find that was me and Morgyn! They did 4 encore songs, the last of which was 'Compliments', another favourite of mine. They played out most of the album, plus 'Little Thoughts'. Despite having seen them live a few times before, the gigs always bring out something new in them, and they seem to be getting more and more confident with each performance.

They seemed incredibly comfortable up on stage - far more comfortable than they were on the NME tour at Brixton. Hundreds of crowd surfers (3 of which kicked me in the head, but the pain was worth it). The crowd on the whole were bloody mental for Bloc Party, which is obvious when you look at my bruises!

After the show, Russell leant down and passed me his set list, and then placed his pick in Morgyn's hand. I was still holding the set list when this bastard on the other side of Morgyn ripped it off me (literally). Russell saw my face that the set

had been ripped off me and took pity on me, and passed me his spare pick (which, like a fool, I dropped) so the security guard picked it up and gave it back to me.

Review + all photos by Jessie Brickley
More photos from this gig can be found here and here

The protagonists of the New Cross art rock scene arrive as the latest great hope looking to re-ignite the moribund indie scene. As they take the stage it’s clear that from the visual to the musical they are willing to test all pre-conceptions; with a diversity and light-heartedness the Pyramids hasn’t witnessed for a long time. Guitars which range from spiky to mesmeric; vocals from yelped to whispered, driven on by the fluent rhythm section and executed with a playful exuberance provide a welcome antidote to the recent spate of dreary ‘alternative’ bands.

Although claiming to be “un-pigeonhole-able” their early 80’s punky, rhythm led, guitar pop will draw undeniable comparisons with both The Cure and The Jam. Whether they can have an impact as lasting as either of those bands remains to be seen, but based on this performance it will be a lot of fun finding out.

Review by Tommy L

www.blocparty.com
www.chromeo.net
www.thisisbattle.com

Bloc Party - best thing since sliced bread or yet another false dawn? Talk on the Messageboard