[October]
Highlight: The epic Electric Proms show with Exmoor Singers...the roof of Camden Roundhouse was lifted so high that it ended up somewhere in orbit around the Moon. Highlights were 'Waiting For The 7.18' and 'SRXT', both perfectly suited for choral backing. Download the entire show on BLOG PARTY here!
Other stuff:
- Bloc Party finally play 'Skeleton' for the first time in yonks during the Providence leg of their 3rd US tour of the year!
- Stop-gap single, 'Flux', is premiered on radio and television...fans get worried that Bloc Party might be about to write an album of euro-techno. Then the Power Rangers / big rubbery alien video is revealed, and we realise they're probably just having a laugh.
[November & December]
Highlight: For Flux sake...the nation goes 'Flux' crazy. It makes Radio 1's top playlist, gets released as a free remix EP with NME and becomes the band's fourth top 10 single to date (and it's still hanging around in the charts now, a month later). Don't expect the success of 'Flux' to lead to a techno-tinged third album though...according to Matt, the one-off single was an experiment to "broaden their horizons".
- BP bring along The Cribs, Foals and The Rakes for their biggest ever UK shows.
So that's Bloc Party's 2007! All that remains is to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a fantastic New Year. BlocParty.net will be back in 2008...happy holidays!
Labels: 2007_Review
¶ 5:26 PM 6 comments links to this post
[July & August]
Highlight: Bloc Party lay waste to the summer's festivals, making appearances all over the UK (including T In The Park, Live Earth, and the Carling Weekend), as well as events in Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Spain, Australia and Japan.
Other stuff:
- 'Hunting For Witches' UK single released, featuring brand new track, 'Cavaliers and Roundheads'.
- Kele and Russell record another acoustic session, this time for Spinner.com. [Download]
- BP.net grabs an exclusive interview with 'Pin Me Down'.
- The band play an exclusive fanclub show in Brighton.
[September]
Highlight: Bloc Party close their festival season with a legendary performance at Austin City Limits. Download the set here!
Other stuff:
- The awesome Ruckus Roboticus Remix of 'Hunting For Witches' surfaces. [Download]
- 'Flux' is previewed in Covington during BP's third US tour of the year.
Labels: 2007_Review
¶ 6:21 PM 0 comments links to this post
[May]
Highlight: Russell unleashes his inner euro-trance DJ with his side project, 'Pin Me Down', also featuring Melina Mepris. Listen to 'Cryptic' and 'Pretty In Pink' here, and expect to hear more from the duo in 2008...
- XM Radio (U.S.) broadcast a 45-min BP feature...download.
- The boys make their second appearance on Later...with Jools Holland. (First appearance here).
[June]
Highlight: The Bloc Party Vcasts. Video podcast #7 was released in June, and eight in total throughout the year, granting BP fans a fly-on-the-wall view into the life of the band...recording the album, shooting videos, braving the Icelandic chill, and jesting about with the camera, "Peep Show" stylee. Their efforts even won them the 'Best Video Podcast' Award at the BT Digital Music Awards in October.
[Download all the episodes so far] [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]
Other stuff:
- Bloc rock the US for the second time in 2007 and premiere 'The Once And Future King' in Asbury Park.
- 'Hunting For Witches' video revealed.
- A storming set at Glastonbury wakes up Michael Eavis' cows and rocks a very muddy crowd (photos below).
Labels: 2007_Review
¶ 9:09 AM 0 comments links to this post
[March]
Highlight: Kele and Russell get all soppy on our asses with the first Bloc Party live acoustic set, in the VW Green Room...'I Still Remember', 'This Modern Love', 'Sunday'.
Other stuff:
[April]
Highlight:
Other stuff:
- 'I Still Remember' UK single released (charts at #20).
- Not on your Nelly...BP cover Nelly Furtado's 'Say It Right' in the Radio 1 Live Lounge...download.
- Bloc Party get mashed up with Coldplay, Phil Collins, Gwen Stefani et al. The results? Decide for yourself!
Labels: 2007_Review
¶ 8:50 AM 0 comments links to this post
So, without further ado, here's the first installment of BlocParty.net's 2007 review!
[January]
Highlight: After Matt's lung collapse scare towards the end of 2006, any fears that Mr. Tong would have to tone down his demonic drumming were quickly allayed by Bloc Party's intimate BBC Maida Vale gig. Matt was bare-chested and hitting the skins like a bionic Bonham faster than you could say "Panic At The Disco". [Download]
Other stuff:
- 'I Still Remember' video revealed, featuring a train full of Keles.
- Bonjour à tous les français...Bloc Party record their second Black Session for French Radio. [Download]
- 'The Prayer' is released (enters UK singles chart at #4).
[February]
Highlight: 'A Weekend In The City' is unleashed, entering the charts at #2 in the UK and at #12 in the Billboard 200. OK, so 'AWITC' isn't as good as 'Silent Alarm', and didn't exactly receive universal acclaim, but it was a cracker by most bands' standards...a widescreen slow-burner which perfectly evoked late-night city ambiance. Appetites are whetted for album number 3.
- A multitude of bonus tracks surface with various versions of the album. Cue frantic swapping on the forums and an unofficial b-sides compilation titled 'Another Weekend in The City'.
- Bloc Party begin their seemingly never-ending tour in support of 'AWITC'...download their early Reading and Bristol gigs, recorded before the tourbus fatigue set in.
Labels: 2007_Review
¶ 11:11 PM 0 comments links to this post
A slightly early Christmas present for all BLOG PARTY readers...here's Bloc Party's full performance at the 9:30 Club in Washington, DC, originally broadcast on NPR's All Songs Considered over two and a half years ago. Download live versions of every track off 'Silent Alarm', plus 'Little Thoughts'. Old-skool-Blocatastic!
01. So Here We Are
02. Like Eating Glass
03. Banquet
04. Positive Tension
05. She's Hearing Voices
06. Blue Light
07. Luno
08. This Modern Love
09. Little Thoughts
10. Helicopter
11. Plans
12. Price Of Gasoline
13. Compliments
14. The Pioneers
Download the gig in one file here.
Labels: Audio
¶ 4:26 PM 6 comments links to this post
Labels: Tour
¶ 3:13 PM 2 comments links to this post
Then why not buy these Bloc Party themed condoms for the BP fan who has everything, spotted in the official merchandise shop. The most tenuously linked band merchandise ever...?! Coming soon (possibly), "Tonight make me unstoppable", "It will be hard, my love" etc...
Labels: Random
¶ 3:00 PM 10 comments links to this post
BBC 6 Music caught up with Kele and Matt backstage at London's Alexandra Palace last night as they wrapped up 2007 with their final gig of the year, tongues planted firmly in cheeks...
Labels: Interviews, Videos
¶ 11:35 PM 1 comments links to this post
Russell has remixed 'Pumpkin Soup', the new seasonally-titled single from indie-princess-of-the-moment, Kate Nash. The remix was released as a digital download last Friday...preview it here or download it now from 7digital below.
[Download - 79p] Kate Nash - Pumpkin Soup (Russell Bloc Party's Team Tiger Edit)
Labels: Collaborations, Remixes
¶ 1:15 PM 1 comments links to this post
Flux / Sunday / She's Hearing Voices / Helicopter
The Pioneers
Photos taken by Dan...more here!
Labels: Gig photos, Setlists
¶ 2:45 AM 2 comments links to this post
Flux / Sunday / She's Hearing Voices / Helicopter
The Pioneers
Labels: Gig_reviews, Setlists
¶ 9:50 AM 1 comments links to this post
Flux / Sunday / She's Hearing Voices / Helicopter
Labels: Setlists
¶ 10:59 AM 6 comments links to this post
Flux / Sunday / She's Hearing Voices / Helicopter
The Pioneers
Labels: Setlists
¶ 9:01 AM 6 comments links to this post
Lucky NME lottery winners were last night treated to the first live outing for recent b-side 'Atonement', plus rare plays of 'The Marshals Are Dead' and 'Skeleton'. If it's any consolation, anyone who wasn't there can watch videos of the three tracks below!
You can catch Bloc Party at an enormodome near you over the next four days, and then the band take a very well-earned Christmas break.
[Setlist]
Song For Clay (Disappear Here) / Positive Tension / Hunting For Witches / Waiting For The 7.18 / Banquet / This Modern Love / The Prayer / Atonement / The Marshals Are Dead / Uniform / So Here We Are / Like Eating Glass
Flux / Little Thoughts / She's Hearing Voices / Helicopter
Skeleton / Two More Years
[Videos]
[Atonement!]
[The Marshals Are Dead!]
[Skeleton!]
Thanks to Neil for the photos and Nettie for the videos!
Labels: Gig photos, Setlists, Videos
¶ 5:25 PM 9 comments links to this post
Bloc Party kicked off their brief Xmas UK jaunt tonight by headlining Xfm's Winter Wonderland gig at London's Brixton Academy, supported by Supergrass, Kate Nash, Jack Peñate and One Night Only. Tomorrow night, the boys play their über-intimate gig at Leeds Cockpit. Lucky attendees...please send in your photos/setlists/videos/reviews!
Flux / She's Hearing Voices / Helicopter
Labels: Gig_reviews, Setlists
¶ 11:02 PM 1 comments links to this post
01. Fischerspooner - The Best Revenge
02. Late Of The Pier - Broken (Fairy Lights Mix)
03. Alan Braxe - Addicted
04. David E. Sugar - To Yourself
05. Pin Me Down - Cryptic
06. M.I.A. - XR2 (Silverlink V Kicks Like A Mule Aka 92juk)
07. The Teenagers - Homecoming (Gentlemen Drivers Rave Mix)
08. AutoKratz - Pardon Garçon
09. Digitalism - Pogo (Digitalism's Robotic Remix)
10. DatA - Aerius Light (Kitsune DJ Friendly Edit)
11. Does It Offend You, Yeah? - Let's Make Out (Extended Mix)
12. Rex The Dog - Circulate
13. Bitchee Bitchee Ya Ya Ya - Fuck Friend (CSS Remix)
14. Friendly Fires - On Board
15. Big Face - I Wanna Be A Style Crusader (DatA Remix)
16. KID - I'll Never Know
17. Cazals / Yelle - To Cut A Long Story Short (Vicarious Bliss Mellotron Mix) / A Cause Des Garçons (Tepr Remix)
Labels: Collaborations, Pin_Me_Down
¶ 9:07 PM 0 comments links to this post
