Bloc Rockin’ Beats

Andrew Lynch
February 23 2005

Hype. A dirty word in the rock'n’roll business – it can launch a successful career, or destroy an inexperienced band who need time to develop. The pressure created can also destroy friendships and wreak havoc on those with addictive personalities, as embodied in the public self-destruction of Pete Doherty and his former band the Libertines. The amount of musical casualties is significant and growing, with bands that peak too early being dropped from their labels, and winding up working in a greasy spoon for the rest of their life. However, some durable bands can pull through and survive the publicity monster.

The newest ‘Next Big Thing in Rock’ comes in the form of London’s Bloc Party, one of the most hyped bands to come out of Britain in the last few years. Riding the crest of a new wave of music that embraces vintage 80s music (Joy Division, The Cure), the band have emerged from out of nowhere to become one the most talked about bands in England. Only playing together for two years, they have come very far, very fast. Their latest single ‘So Here We Are’ entered the British charts at number five, and the band are in the process of building up a solid and devoted following. I spoke to drummer Matt Tong about how it feels to be thrust into the spotlight, and how the band will cope over the next few years.

Surprisingly, for a band that are so much in demand these days, the members of Bloc Party have not let it get to their heads. Matt is refreshingly laid-back, seeming to find the whole celebrity thing a bit strange. “I’m still a bit taken aback by the whole thing, to be honest. When people come up to us in the street, I’m the one who gets starstruck.” This rejection of the sex, drugs, and rock’n’roll excess lifestyle is mirrored in their musical attitude. Lead singer Kele Okereke has been critical of bands in Britain such as The Libertines, Muse, and Coldplay dismissing them as ‘boring.’ "There's a fine line between having fun and being a pig ... just a lot of people in rock bands seem to have really abhorrent behaviour as soon as they become famous”.

The band’s attitude is also evident on listening to their album, Silent Alar, a record that is very much stripped down, DIY rock. There are no masturbatory guitar solos or indulgent riffage here, it is direct and to the point. They have drawn comparisons to everyone from Joy Division to The Cure to Franz Ferdinand, but also draw inspiration from some unexpected sources. Fans of r&b and pop, as well as alternative acts like The Arcade Fire, the band has a wide range of musical tastes. “The music that really inspires me is modern music. It isn't your Falls and A Certain Ratios or whatever. I didn't hear of Gang of Four until somebody mentioned them and said we sounded like them. I think you would be surprised if you knew what we listened to."

Originating in London with school friends Kele Okereke (singer) and Russell Lissack (guitar), the band only played their first gig together in 2002. Before that Lissack had been passing time in a tribute band, and the pair had went through numerous bassists and drummers. It was only until they recruited Gordon Moakes (bass) and Matt Tong via that they became a proper band. Tong had originally been a guitarist, but switched to drums because " finding a drummer is like trying to find a wife". The four members became more than just a collection of musicians, and became very good friends. With a solid line-up and a shared bond, the band began to take their music seriously and began writing together in earnest.

Although admitting that they were a pop band in a previous interview, they didn’t exactly take the You’re A Star route to stardom. The first A+R man they spoke to told them they would have to write shorter, more accessible pop music before he could help them. However, refusing to compromise themselves, the band found an alternative. After reading an interview with Franz Ferdinand’s Alex Kapranos, a curious Bloc Party sent a demo to the then up-and-coming band. Kapranos was so impressed, he invited Bloc Party to support them at a gig they were putting together in the Electrowerkz. There, Kele met legendary DJ Steve Lamacq who loved Bloc Party’s music, and declared them ‘genius’ on his radio show. This was a great boost to the fledging band, who had no manager or record deal.

In April 2004, Bloc Party signed with the independent label Wichita, and began recording and writing. The first single released was the impressive ‘She’s Hearing Voices’, an upbeat rock-you-can-dance-to song, which was a good introduction to the band’s unique sound. Subsequent singles ‘Banquet’ and ‘Helicopter’ followed, and the band became visible on MTV2 and in the NME. Word of mouth spread rapidly, and soon Bloc Party’s name was all around Britain. They toured both Japan and America in late 2004, supporting Interpol and Franz Ferdinand on successive tours.

Bloc Party were attracting lots of favourable criticism for their powerful live shows, something they were uncomfortable with at first. However, the band has now gained confidence in the live arena, cutting their teeth on the Leeds and Reading festivals. Matt has even hinted at a visit to this years Oxygen festival, though we will have to wait and see. “We really like playing the festivals, 'cos there's always a great atmosphere there.” At the moment, Bloc Party are preparing to embark on another tour, this time as the main attraction. They will tour Britain, and then in March, they will leave for America and Canada. After that, who knows? “We have about thirty songs written at the moment, so we might head back to the studio after the tours and start recording the next album.” If Bloc Party keep progressing at this speed, by the end of this year they could be one of the biggest bands in Europe. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see…