Bloc Party
Review of their gig in The Village, Dublin, 16th January 2005
Review Snapshot:
Experiencing a live Bloc Party show is almost like a high-speed
rollercoaster journey - full of twists & turns, roars of excitement, pounding
volume in the eardrums, ecstatic highs, terrifying lows and a feeling of
fulfilment right at the end.
The
CLUAS Verdict?
8 out of 10
Full review: As many eager revellers withstood the bitterly cold night clutching
their golden ticket, touts circled the area ready to pounce on anyone who seemed
even a little unsure about climbing aboard 'The Bloc Party Experience'. The
turnstiles soon opened and a swarm of adrenaline junkies swarmed in. A preview
jaunt before the main ride came in the form of Red Jetson. It was a shaky start
for all involved with the sound of Jim Morrison meets Brandon Flowers trying to
adjust to the tracks under the red flared lights. Stares were fixated straight
ahead. A wall of four guitars crashed simultaneously while the drums kept up
with the chaotic pace. The ride stepped up a gear and the passengers warmed to
the atmospheric Hope Of The States-like moodiness in front of them. Although
with five songs quickly devoured the preview ride was soon over. It was a case
of back into the queue to waiting for the main excursion to start.
Place all hands close to your chest. Please turn all mobile phones off and
buckle your seatbelts. Welcome to the NME Hypefest; the first gig of 2005 to get
excited about. The time is 22:10 so please step aboard and take your seat upon
'The Bloc Party Experience'.
Every carriage is full and there are still more people lurking over, trying to
join in. The lights start to flash. The drums start to bang. The guitars start
to wail. 'The Marshals Are Dead' take us up the first straight in an urban,
rockier Franz Ferdinand style catapult. The passengers shout, whistle and clap
with excitement. The first shaky turn comes in the form of 'Like Eating Glass'
but gravity soon resumes thanks to the rollicking 'Banquet'. Sweat drips from
the brow. Feet begin to ache. Stomachs churn. Yet there is a call for more, to
go faster. The conductor doesn't disappoint and takes the ride on a full loop
agitation in the form of 'This Modern Love'. Smiles start to stretch and screams
begin to howl. Distortion cries and chords whimper. Then the throttle slows down
slightly as the tempo threatens to stay a midlevel pace. Two songs later and the
capacity rose with a huge surge from a hammering intro and a marching drumbeat.
It is 'Positive Tension' all the way. Couples are separated as bodies all scuttle together toward the climax of the
ride. The momentum increases on 'Little Thoughts' and people are holding on for
sheer survival. You could never have this much fun at Disney World. All good
things must eventually come to an end though. And so the ride hit the brakes. A
gloom shadow hung over the passengers, as they were reluctant to end the
proceedings there and then. Neither was Bloc Party. The engines rebooted and the
arms rose up high. Mouths were hanging open just as 'So Here We Are' set the
pulses racing and 'The Price Of Gas' had neck muscles bulging. The encore was
polished off with 'The Answer' and the experience sailed to a safe halt.
As Bloc Party disappeared from view, everyone took a chance to catch their
breath. Then the realisation kicked in; that a rare paradigm of live events had
just occurred. Everyone was in total agreement that for once, the hype was
justified.
Gareth Maher
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