Everyone is screaming, their mouths spread ear to ear in excitement and anticipation.
After a three-year hiatus, British indie-rock favourites Bloc Party are back, and they’re edgier than ever.
With the incredible success of their latest album Four, Kele Okereke, Russell Lissack, Gordon Moakes, and Matt Tong have no reason not to be tearing up the world’s stages, as proven by their list of gig after packed gig around the world.
After performing to a dismally muddy and drowned-out crowd at Future Music Festival in Brisbane on Saturday, Bloc Party turned up to their second show this year in Queensland for their sideshow at Brisbane’s Riverstage, with the enthusiasm and energy that fans have come to love and expect.
The appreciative crowd dotted the damp greens on that miserable Tuesday evening; it was a sizeable bunch, though nowhere near the 10,000 possible in the venue, leaving plenty of space to dance (though most chose to sway coolly on the slope).
While the event began moderately subdued, the quartet easily amped up the crowd with hit after hit, supported by a wildly colourful light show.
Early technical problems were resolved just in time for Lissack to rock out and prove, once again, that there’s much more to him than his shy exterior, especially during “Like Eating Glass” and “Octopus”.
Although he appeared to fiddle with the equipment multiple times throughout the show, sound quality never wavered, and he performed – unfazed – with a professional and positive attitude.
The transition from “Song For Clay (Disappear Here)” to “Banquet” was seamless, surging the crowd’s energy; a trick that proves popular with audiences time and time again.
Old favourites like “This Modern Love” also featured, much to the delight of long-time fans, while big numbers from their new album such as “Team A” and “Coliseum” were naturally included.
Okereke proved again to be quite the affable showman, leading the group with his upbeat dance moves and cheeky banter, and engaging the audience in some call and response; especially in the performance of “Give Me One More Chance”.
After Future Music Festival’s weather dampened the audience’s attitude (and thus, in some opinions, Bloc Party’s onstage performance), Okereke took this evening as a chance to thank fans who’d turned up to both events for their support before the band performed the new (and as yet unrecorded) “Montreal”, a song that was slow, mellow, and subdued, but unmistakably Bloc Party.
The sideshow could have almost been seen as a second chance for both performers and audience. Indeed, the gathered was much more appreciative of the four-piece group, whose energy climbed and climbed through the evening.
Finally, the band effortlessly delivered a three-song encore, and had punters leaving Riverstage in excitable chatter and giddy laughter.
Worth mentioning is the warm-up band World’s End Press. With their Foals-like extended instrumentals, this four-piece pumped up what was until that point a fairly thin crowd.
Their eclectic mix of synthetic sounds and bopping beats gave the impression of being a band that your little brother might be in, yet at the same time commanded the stage with an undeniable maturity.
With spritely energy, they were almost like a combination of Morning Benders, Mika, and even at times Scissor Sisters.
World’s End Press were definitely a strong opening, increasing in confidence as the show went on. With many more shows booked, it won’t be long before they are a main act, rather than a support.
All in all, Tuesday night was a satisfying evening of rock with twists of indie and pop.
