Bloc Party, Kokamino.

Esquires Bedford Lev 2. Friday 10th March 2006.

Reviewed by Martin Stapleton / Pictures by Suzy Cook.

Tonight Bedford’s premier music venue welcomed back one of it’s old favourites, ladies and gentlemen we present, BLOC PARTY.

The tour was arranged by the band for their vast and loyal fan club members. Esquires was chosen as one of those lucky hosts, although it was a pity that the ordinary keen music punter was unfortunately excluded from this mutual love in.
Coincidentally, keen Bloc Party aficionados may remember that it was on Thursday March 11th 2004 that Kele and the boys made their debut at Esquires, as a support act to Graham Coxon. That evening is etched in my memory and it was all the more special for Bloc Party. With a vast array of A&R men hovering around this new young band, eventually Witchita managed to sign them up and as they say, the rest is history.

Bloc Party were certainly one of British music’s most exciting new discoveries of 2005 as their extensive NME coverage showed, with debut album Silent Alarm voted that publications top album of last year. The only setback to their rise and rise is having felt the acid tongue of Mr Liam Gallagher, who likened Bloc Party to a bunch of contestants on University Challenge. (Kele meets Paxman. Hmm.)

Anyway, on to tonight, and although I am not one of Bloc Party’s greatest admirers, I will endeavour to be objective.

In June 2004 KOMAKINO supported Bloc Party and tonight once again they open for them. They start with their next Download single 'Kommunikate' and together with 'Innocent Child' it is featured on their EP. With some very strong drumming from Mark Stone and Ryan Needham’s refined vocals I thought as a taster for the main event, Komakino were an ideal Hors d’oeuvre.

They place explodes as the lads are uncovered from darkness and they reveal themselves in all their superstar glory. 'Waiting for the 7.18' opens this set that collects songs from the debut album as well as showcasing their new record. From this point a vast array of hands are held in the air as they clap to the rhythm. Old favourites ‘Positive Tension’ and ‘Banquet’ increases both the volume and adulation. The peak of the evening arrives with their hit single from the later part of last year, a mass sing along to ‘Two More Years’, a perfectly pure pop song that most certainly receives the biggest roar of he evening.

What is heartening and is very noticeable is the respect and a genuine warm feeling that Bloc Party have for this place, not to mention their adoring supporters. Guitarist Russell in fact comments that we are ‘lovely and so much better than the audience at Nottingham last night’!





For all their recent success, they don’t seem to court controversy, no drug scandals with supermodels, no paparazzi receiving a left hook. They let their music do the talking. ‘So Here We Are’ and ‘Helicopter’ end the set and they leave their fans pleading for more. Teasingly they retreat to the dressing room and a full 3 minutes elapses before they return to a tumultuous reception. They play a further four songs to quench the fan club’s thirst, and if that is not enough they reappear for a second encore. And so, after some seventy minutes, Bloc Party walk off stage for a final time to loud cheers that take a while to subside. Whether we will see them again at Esquires, who knows, but tonight they certainly gave these fans a night they will never forget.

Set list:
• Waiting for the 7:18, • Positive Tension, • Banquet, • This Modern Love, • Machine, • Two More Years, • Uniform, • Like Eating Glass , • So Here We Are, • Helicopter, • It Started in an Afternoon, • Price of Gas, • Blue Moon, • Little Thoughts, • Tulips.

Thanks also to the DJ’s tonight, whose blend of tunes between the bands kept everyone on a high. [Cheers Martin, who should I make that cheque out to? -Ed]



REVIEW TWO BY Rick Skilbeck.

Almost exactly two years to the day after they first played Esquires as support to Graham Coxon, BLOC PARTY returned for fanclub only gig that will undoubtably go down in the annuls of the Bedford Music scene as one of those 'Where you there...?' concerts.
At lot has happened to Bloc Party since that appearance on the 11th March 2004. Their debut album 'Silent Alarm' was released to almost universal acclaim and has been deservedly hailed as a modern classic. With an almost otherworldly sound that manages to be both frenetic ('Like Eating Glass','Banquet') and ethereal ('So Here We Are','This Modern Love') and featuring the curiously oblique lyrics of frontman Kele Okereke, it's a record to put next to your copies of 'Lowlife' by New Order, 'Daydream Nation' by Sonic Youth and 'The Bends' by Radiohead. It sold more than a million worldwide and the NME named it as their album of the 2005. As a result, the band went onto to sell out The Royal Albert Hall, consecutive nights at the Brixton Academy, the Manchester Apollo etc and we quite sensibly assumed we would never see them at Esquires again.





Therefore, for the band to return in 2006 to preview tracks from their upcoming second album (tentatively titled 'Sympathy Tranny', according to Kele) was nothing short of incredible and a real coup for the venue and promoters alike. As the doors opened at 8:00pm people literally ran across the venue to secure their place at the front of the stage and the sense of anticipation and excitement all around the place was tangible.

Support tonight came from Derby's KOMAKINO, who previously played with Bloc Party here back in 2004. Back then, although they were enjoyable, I dismissed them as a Joy Division tribute act, right down to their choice of name and the Ian Curtis moves of their lead singer.
Although their guitarist is still a dead ringer for Bernard Sumner circa 1979, Komakino appeared to have evolved into something far more commercial and poppy, with a sound almost akin to The Killers. Lead singer Ryan has dropped the epiletic dancing and now conducts the audience like he is playing Wembley Stadium while tracks like 'Everyday is Like Friday Night' and (especially) 'Say Something' are nothing if not inanely catchy.

Unsurprisngly the venue is absolutely rammed so when BLOC PARTY bound on stage and launch into new track 'Waiting for the 7.18' the place erupts. It gets even more manic when the Talking Heads bassline of 'Positive Tension' starts up. Literally everyone is dancing, and that includes the staff behind the bar and in the cloakroom. As the band crash into 'Banquet', you can actually see people turning to each other in disbelief. The band seem taken aback with the reaction, Kele describing the crowd (to huge cheers) as 'better than Newcastle and Nottingham' whilst bassist Gordon declares how much he loves the venue!
The sublime 'This Modern Love' follows, which is essentially a cover of 'Ceremony' by New Order but remains utterly seductive. Live it is always a highlight and tonight is no exception. With lyrics like 'You told me you wanted to eat up my sadness, Well jump on, enjoy, you can gorge away' it can't fail to strike a chord with the sixteen year old Smiths fan inside me.
Another new track 'Machine' followed, with a strange almost acapella intro and lyrics about people 'Merging on the Freeway'. This was followed by recent single 'Two More Years' with it's nagging chorus which again got the whole venue jumping. Kele's yearning and pleading vocals are hidden low in the mix on the CD so live they are somewhat of a revelation.
Of the new tracks, the next track 'Uniform' was the most impressive, featuring an instantly memorable riff and lyrics about 'drinking and smoking too much', as those in the who tried to dance whilst holding a pint threw beer down themselves in an unwittingly ironic gesture. Album opener 'Like Eating Glass' followed, its frantic and staccato drumming causing mayhem on the dancefloor once more.
Things calmed down with the beatific 'So Here We Are' (which, although I'm sure they wouldn't appreciate the comparison, always reminds me of long forgotten Thames Valley shoegazers Slowdive), as a dozen camera phones are hoisted into the air (I guess this is the modern equivalent of holding up a lighter during a Scorpions gig!). As Kele announces they will be playing just one more song and they launch into the angular rhythms of 'Helicopter' there are people actually surfing over the crowd, probably just to try to get a copy of the setlist.
The band encore with the unreleased 'It Started In An Afternoon', before the almost dancey 'Price of Gasoline'. As on record, it's jackboot drumbeat and Kele's yelped vocals recall post punk acts like Public Image Limited and Gang of Four before another new track, Blue Moon (not the Billie Holliday number), followed.

Perhaps fittingly, Bloc Party ended with 'Little Thoughts', the lead track from their second EP released back in July 2004 and which the band were promoting the last time they played here. The house lights come up and people start to reluctantly make their way to the exits, surreptiously wringing out the sweat from their t-shirts. However, the band are obviously enjoying themselves too much and they returned on stage to launch into early b-side 'Tulips', much to the delight of the hardcore fans present and much to the chagrin of their sound technician, who had already began packing up! Their enjoyment of the whole evening was further evidenced by the fact they stayed around for an hour or so after the concert had finished to sign autographs and answer inane questions from fans (sorry guys!).



This will undoubtedly rank as one of the best gigs Esquires has held in recent years. Thanks must go to the guys behind the scenes at 'Hairgel' for making this happen - those lucky enough to get tickets were left in no doubt that they had witnessed something very special tonight.