So in walked the UK music invasion of 2007, all off to Splendour in the Grass for the weekend of all indie kids’ dreams. The likes of UK indie acts Arctic Monkeys , Kaiser Chiefs , Editors , Hot Chip and The Horrors (nearly even Klaxons ) made up this year’s massive lineup. Leading the onslaught of UK indie bands were Bloc Party , who stopped by in Melbourne for a side show at Festival Hall. Considering it was their first “proper” gig in two weeks (some fans got to see them in an intimate Triple J performance the night before) they delivered a shattering performance that lived up to their reputation as a great live act.
Delivering a mix of rock and electronica were the support, Midnight Juggernauts , whose catchy, original tunes and lively stage presence really shone through. Vincent coolly provided beats through synths and vocoder as well as his vocal, whilst Andy and Daniel rocked about on guitar and drums. Random groups of eager early-comers on the floor were jumping around to somewhat familiar tracks such as ‘Into the Galaxy’ and ‘Shadows’. On the eve of the debut album release, the trio couldn’t have had a better slot to fill, playing before five thousand (or near enough) potential fans. This meant that they were on top of their game, and gave Dystopia a good kick start.
Walking out onto a dimly, purple lit stage to the roars of a packed Festival Hall, frontman Kele Okereke positioned himself centre-stage with a spotlight shining up from the stage onto his face, which hid underneath a hoodie. Okereke’s vocal broke the screams from the crowd as he began ‘Song For Clay’, a great show opener that started low and subtle then built to a full on, heavy rock track. Immediately as the song climaxed, the sea of people on the floor were bounding up and down, and everyone with seats were standing. Instead of following through with a string of tracks from their latest effort, A Weekend In The City , the group drew heavily from the debut Silent Alarm in the earlier tracks.
Sound-wise, Okereke’s vocal (especially by itself) was fantastic and the band were in great form. Festival Hall did justice to the bands sound for the most part, though as the set progressed and the music became louder, the sound did seem blur somewhat – the vocals were a little too loud to distinguish what was being sung at times.
The lighting was brilliant. The fast paced and energetic nature of Bloc Party’s sound was matched perfectly by the lighting, which consisted of mostly strobe lights. Six towers of lights blasted the eyes of the audience with strobe effects almost every time a track got louder or sped up, adding a real intensity to the songs. Streams of spotlights were also very effective, making sporadic tracks more all over the place (they were meant to be) and slower tracks more compelling.
The crowd seemed pleased with every selection from the group, every song getting a yell as though it were the “big single”. As for those singles, the likes of ‘The Prayer’ and the encore of ‘Helicopter’ were definitely highlights, whilst fan favourite single, ‘Two More Years’ was surprisingly and disappointingly nowhere to be heard.
Other highlights were found in true, intense rock tracks like ‘Hunting For Witches’ and ‘Uniform’ in which all four members trashed about the stage, building the crowds intensity with their own. ‘Positive Tension’ was built up to a mighty end, with Okereke singing “Why’d you have to get so hysterical … Why’d you have to get…” several times before passing to the audience to sing (or scream rather) “So f***ing useless”. Okereke’s voice could almost not be hard over the crowd singing ‘Like Eating Glass’ which finished the main set after only an hour.
The stage was given a second drum kit for bassist Gordon Moakes to partner drummer Matt Tong with during the encore. Okereke, despite not saying much throughout the night, made several comments about how good it was to play to so many people this time, and dedicated ‘Banquet’ to all those who’d seen them at the Hi Fi Bar in 2005.
Throughout the encore, there seemed to be a whole range of technical difficulties and there seemed to be a roadie on stage three quarters of the time. Okereke said he was playing so hard he “broke himself” after spending a track guitarless, and playfully running about the stage and grabbing and hugging guitarist Russell Lissack . After playing four encore tracks, including ‘Price of Gasoline’ and (to no surprise) ‘Helicopter’ to finish, the four again left, as did a bunch of the audience. Albeit for them to know, Bloc Party returned for yet another track which had people bolting back through the doors. The finale, ‘The Pioneers’ was promised on the condition the crowd sung it with Okereke.
Considering the last time Bloc Party was out here they played the Hi Fi, it was a big step forward to Festival Hall. The quality of the music and visuals together proved the Bloc Party are a forceful live act that would likely make good use of stadiums perhaps next time they’re out here.
