Bloc Party at The Forum

Best. Show. Ever!

After almost a year and a half since moving back to London, I finally saw Bloc Party last Tuesday, September 30, when they performed a one-off gig in part of Q Radio’s Q Awards.

I missed two opportunities in the past to see them. One was during Live Earth 2007. I had tickets but Glassjaw announced their one-off 7.7.7. gig so I picked GJ over a possibly sort and more crowded set by Bloc Party at Wembley Stadium. The second time was in December at Alexandra Palace and I am not really sure what happened but I somehow missed buying tickets.

So when they announced the Q Awards a month before the gig, I made sure I had tickets and this turned out to be a crazy story in itself as evident in my last blog post.

I arrived pretty early as I had to meet up with a girl who purchased my extra ticket. After selling the ticket, I queued up outside the venue, at this point there were less than 10 people in the queue.

Gates opened around 6:30 and I could have rushed right in front but didn’t feel like doing it all alone. So got me some band merch instead

The support band Esser started playing at 8. There is nothing much to say about them.

From Bloc Party at The Forum

After hours of patiently waiting, Bloc Party finally came up on stage at 15 minutes pass 9, which is almost a 4 hour wait since I queued up.

From Bloc Party at The Forum

The setlist is as follows which I found on Kele Okereke.net

First Set:
Halo
Hunting For Witches
Positive Tension
Talons
Signs
Song For Clay
Banquet
Better Than Heaven
Mercury
This Modern Love
The Prayer
So Here We Are
Like Eating Glass

From Bloc Party at The Forum

Second Set:
Ares
Price Of Gasoline
Flux
Helicopter

Encore:
Skeleton

It was a really great setlist and I really enjoyed every song they played and how they squeeze the slower more relaxed songs in between the heavier more energetic ones. Actually, I am pretty sure they played The Pioneers as well. It was a great mix of new and old songs which was expected since this was not an Intimacy tour yet.

From Bloc Party at The Forum

Some highlights would be Halo as it is one of my favorite songs from Intimacy and I was quite surprised they started with it instead of Ares. Another would be how they string Song For Clay straight into Banquet without stopping, it was crazy. The extended intro for Flux was also real amazing since I’ve been listening to this version for more than a week until it was pulled from the BBC Reading and Leeds website. Of course, the biggest highlight would be their encore song, Skeleton which they rarely play live.

From Bloc Party at The Forum

I wish they played Two More Years though as well as One Month Off and Trojan Horse. Now that I think about it, I am glad they didn’t as the last two are new songs and they need to hold some for their Intimacy tour next year.

Nonetheless, even though I was alone (I just had to squeeze this bit of information ), it was the best night of my life. Easily trumps The Mars Volta Brixton gig and Glassjaw’s 7.7.7.

I am so looking forward to seeing them again in April 11.

So that’s Bloc Party crossed off the list of bands I’d die to see. What’s left? I’d say Thursday and Muse.

For more pictures checked them at Picasa.

~ by stingeyes on October 5, 2008.