They’ve reconvened, though, found their mojo once more and are set to storm London and make a statement.
Since Kele Okereke and the boys leaped into the public’s attention with single Little Thoughts back in 2004, Bloc Party were the ones to save indie music with their jagged, angular sounds.
They were more left-leaning than contemporaries The Futureheads and more intellectual than Kaiser Chiefs (both of whom they shared a stage with on 2005’s NME Awards tour).
Their debut Silent Alarm crashed the UK top 10, as singles Helicopter and Banquet became indie night staples.
They followed it up with two more albums, but each moved the band further and further away from their indie guitar origins, and then it all went tits up.
Kele abandoned the Bloc-ship to go it alone, hanging up his guitar to take third album Intimacy’s electro-synth sounds to their logical conclusion on his debut solo offering, The Boxer. It was a success and went top 20.
However, as if he had purged this from his system, and after reports of the band continuing without him did the rounds, the foursome came back as quickly as they had seemed to implode, with last year’s Four showing a rougher, harder-rocking edge that they’d previously jettisoned a long time back – lead single Kettling has an alt-rock guitar solo that absolutely screeches.
Back and stronger than ever, make sure you don’t miss this party!
Fri, Feb 22. Doors at 7pm £29.50
Earl’s Court, SW5 9TA
Tube | Earl’s Court
eco.co.uk
Photo: Getty
