Bloc Party play an energetic as ever set for their tour finale at O2 Academy Leeds

Gig
Written By Jack Cook

The indie icons finish their first tour in nearly a decade on a high note.

Photo: Wunmi Onibudo

London-born Bloc Party finished their UK tour — the first since their split in 2013 — in the O2 Academy Leeds, with lead singer and guitarist Kele mentioning it had “been a while” since they had been to Leeds for such a great weekend.

Opening with Day Drinker, a track from their recently released sixth album Alpha Games, is something a little different to what fans were used to back in their heyday. To most (myself included), this album was very unexpected and extremely exciting, as fans would get a glimpse of brand-new material from a band laying dormant for just shy of a decade. While the new album provides us with plenty of big, heavy-hitting rock that Bloc Party are known for, it also offers a balance of slower, melodic tracks.

Before the band appeared, it was clear to see the audience was on tenterhooks — after all, this is a band many of us have never seen live. There’s something special about seeing the music come alive in front of you that never fails to disappoint, and Bloc Party were certainly no exception.

Lights, smoke and blazing energy throughout had the crowd itching for more. The centre of the floor was bouncing with die-hard fans singing to every song. Their biggest reactions unsurprisingly came from their most popular tracks Banquet, Helicopter and This Modern Love off their iconic debut album Silent Alarm [2005].

After the set had supposedly finished and the crowd finally had a moment to come up for air, the majority were chanting for a return — and they did exactly that. An encore kept the fans’ electric energy going throughout the venue and the ending had everyone fooled. As people started to depart the venue, Bloc Party came out for one last stint, eager to please those who had waited all those years. Rocking the audience with another debut album hit — She’s Hearing Voices — they gave everyone their last fix before finally drawing the unforgettable night to a close.

If you ever get the chance to see Bloc Party (one of the most iconic indie bands of that 00s/early 10s period), whether they decide to tour again or take their high energy to festivals, take it. You won’t regret it. Hopefully this is just the rebirth.

Considering they tweeted this two days ago, we’re definitely not seeing the last of them.

Jack Cook
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