Live reviews

Bloc Party (photo: Karen McBride)

Bloc Party at Academy 3

Bloc Party's set list

To use the internet to get off on such a matter-of-fact foot with their audience, you would think perhaps, in a live setting, they may expand on that straightforward presentation of their craft.

However, as hard as the foursome try (and try they do - their enthusiasm is seemingly endless), Kele Okereke and his compadres cannot seem to musically deviate from the sounds that so obviously helped create them. This manifests itself particularly in Okereke’s vocals and guitar, which are both heavily laced with the spirits of Robert Smith and David Bowie respectively.

Bloc Party (photo: Karen McBride)

As a result the overall Bloc Party experience suffers from lack of individuality, and whilst a tune such as the recent single Helicopter makes the crowd go nuts, at this stage in their career the band have nothing to single them out from all the other guitar orientated young upstarts around at the moment.