Bloc Party @ Alexandra Palace - October 24, 2018

This was my first time seeing Bloc Party, a band that were part of the Post punk revival circa 2005 that got me re-excited about music after one of my lulls. And Silent Alarm was the debut album that was core to this sound. I had many of its tracks on heavy rotation along with Arctic Monkeys, Interpol, Editors, The Cribs, The Libertines, The Hives, Clinic, Art Brut, and so on and so on...

This was a solo show for me. I've recently discovered an informal group called Solo Armada for people wanting to meet up with other solo gig goers. I was hoping to spot someone with one of their badges, but no luck.
I thought I might have spotted one when I was in a bar line up, but abandoning a drink to chase after a stranger disappearing into the crowd was a bit beyond me. Maybe next time.

After being fucked over by some Facebook chick who was going to buy my spare ticket - I should have known better when I saw all the hen party pictures on her profile - I made it in a bit later than I wanted, but in time for most of the opener's, Middle Kids, set. I'd checked them out ahead of time and liked their songs, even if they are a bit mellow. Their performance was dull. Four people standing still and playing. The lead singer reminded me of one of those thrift-store-sweater-wearing geeky girls with her guitar strung high and played awkwardly. They could keep growing though; the potential definitley seems to be there.

In the wait for Bloc Party, I found myself standing next to a young woman who was doing all the pre-gig physical arrangements that marks you as a regular gig-goer: layers off and tied around waist, hair in pony tail, etc. I asked her if she was here solo as well, and we chatted for 15 minutes or so. She summed up the evening perfectly: "do you get the feeling every 30 year old male in London is here tonight?" She was spot on. It was a predominantly white male 30-ish crowd of the type that don't seem to go to tons of shows. The ones nearer the front would be more the die-hard fans, but in a 10,000 capacity place (is Ally Pally really that big?) there were far more of the former, trying to recapture their late teens and early 20's passion, and mostly forgetting how. In other words, it was a well-behaved and mostly dull crowd.

Bloc Party's arrival was preceeded by a tape playing Every time is the Last Time, a hidden track off the Silent Alarm album. This show is a revisit of that album (one of 6 in European cities), albeit in reverse order acknowledging a tracklist ending with slow songs that wouldn't work in a live environment. So, the band comes on and quickly gets through the slow tracks. Things start to get a bit more interesting (in live terms) with Luno and build from there. I necked a few drinks and then started to make my way towards the front with each song. Tons of singing along and excitement from the crowd. It was nice, despite my snarkiness as a show like this isn't going to bring out the curious, but more established long-term fans and that makes for an engaged, happy audience. This Modern Love kicks off the really uptempo part of the show, culminating in the last song, Like Eating Glass, before the pause and encore.

more to come....



Setlist:
Compliments
Plans
Luno
So Here We Are
Price of Gasoline
The Pioneers
This Modern Love
She's Hearing Voices
Blue Light
Banquet
Positive Tension
Helicopter
Like Eating Glass

Encore:
Two More Years
The Marshals Are Dead
Little Thoughts
The Prayer
Ratchet
Flux

Gang of Four @ 100 Club - October 5, 2018

What did I expect of the 100 Club, or of Gang of Four?

I knew the 100 Club would be small and I was right. I expected gritty, bare and very basic. Pretty much. More basic, than overly gritty. I was surprised to see a massive pillar dividing the floor directly in front of the stage, effectively splitting the crowd in two. I was also surprised by how close we were to the band. So close. Almost too intimate. (It was weird repeatedly meeting Andy Gill's eyes.)

Based on videos of live performances I'd seen, we found a spot to the right side in front of where Andy Gill positions himself  which was perfect. We were close enough that we could see the whole stage to our left as well.

Draped behind the stage was a curtain blocking the 100 Club lettering I expected from photos. Video were projected here making the show atmospheric.

They opened with Anthrax, all squealing guitar and feedback and any doubts I had about seeing an old band milking their history disappeared. The bass and drums were turned way up for the whole show, which worked great. The bass player, Thomas McNeice, particularly impressed me.

After Not Great Men the setlist hit a bit of a lull for four or five tracks, including some unfamiliar tracks to me. Gill acknowledged this by saying something like "that's it for the slow stuff". The rest of the setlist was riveting though, beginning particularly with Natural's Not in It.

Gill seemed serious and a bit crotchedy throughout the show. I hate to say it, but he looked more like my posh, aging wine merchant than an art punk, but I'll give him every benefit of the doubt cuz of all the great music he's produced. I did notice some snark between him and the much younger singer. Gill made a comment about him 'taking notes'. A bit later the singer retorted with a Butlins jab that didn't seem to please Gill.

I have to say, John "Gaoler" Sterry, the singer, seemed a total visual mis-fit with my idea of the band. More Duran Duran than Gang of Four. His pretty boy looks were played up by his floppy blond hair and mildly arrogant performance. However, his voice was an excellent fit, letting one enjoy the songs rather than be distracted by a voice totally different from Jon King. Unfortunately he wasn't so much focused on his performance as looking at the other band members too much, particularly Gill; possibly his insecurity. Who knows? I chose to mostly focus on Gill and listen to the performance which was tight and energetic.


The encore began with He'd Send in the Army where Sterry went to town on a microwave that was brought onstage, first with a stick and then with a guitar neck. When I looked this up later, I found this is a frequent live performance piece of theatre of theirs. It was a fitting addition for a band whose sound is industrial, modern and edgy.

After the short 2-song encore and the house lights coming on, it looked to me like their roadie/tech guy was trying to signal "time" to the sound guy and Gill looked as though he was slightly limping as they left the stage for the second time. I had taken a shot of the setlist taped to the floor, but figured they weren't following it to the letter. So, we bailed, and found out after the fact that they played one more encore to the remaining 1/2 of the audience: I Found That Essence Rare. Damn it.

My love of Gang of Four goes way back to a Fast Product EP re-released sometime around 1982, but I probably found it a couple years after that. Gang of Four contributed 3 tracks: Damaged Goods, Love Like Anthrax and Armalite Rifle. Still 3 of my favourites tracks of theirs, and they instantly became a defining sound for me and my maturing tastes. A few years later, in probably '89 I finally bought entertainment! It still floors me at how their early songs are so urgent and undated. Damn I love that album. So hearing well over half of it played live was a huge thrill.  I jumped around accordingly with very little company among the older crowd and enjoyed myself immensely.

Setlist:
(Love Like) Anthrax
Where the Nightingale Sings
Not Great Men
Isle of Dogs
Ivanka (Things You Can't Have)
I Parade Myself
Paralysed
What We All Want
Natural's Not In It
Lucky
Damaged Goods
Why Theory?
I Love a Man in a Uniform
At Home He's a Tourist
To Hell With Poverty
Encore:
He'd Send in the Army
Ether
Encore 2:
I Found That Essence Rare