Bloc Party: Live @ Leeds 2005
One of my goals for GWFAS 2.0 is to post more high-quality live recordings, and what better place to start than with my favorite live recording from my favorite band: Bloc Party’s set from last summer’s Leeds Festival. Bloc Party bring to the table an unrivaled vitality and energy in their recorded material, and this energy is only intensified exponentially in a live setting. More often than not, crowd-generated noise detracts from the quality of a live recording, but in this instance the sound of thousands of simultaneous hand claps (see: “Banquet”) and the crowd’s chants and cheers only adds to the intensity of the performance. Bloc is the kind of band that is absolutely made to play to thousands in a festival setting, as they’re able to build off the energy of the crowd better than any other band I’ve ever seen, and this recording from last year’s Leeds Festival is perfect evidence of this. A must-have for any Bloc Party fan.
SOUND QUALITY: A-
Bloc Party, Live @ Leeds 2005:
01. “Banquet”
02. “Helicopter”
03. “Little Thoughts”
04. “She’s Hearing Voices”
05. “So Here We Are”
06. “The Pioneers”
07. “This Modern Love”
08. “Two More Years”
My only Bloc Party live experience, and the pinnacle of my life to this point, transpired only one month ago at VICE’s Intonation Music Festival in Chicago, and it was, suffice-it-to-say, a little bit life-changing for me. Though the setlist revealed their intention to play two new live songs, “Uniform” and “Wet”, the latter was excluded in a tragic turn of events. However, “Uniform” sounded brilliant and is shaping up to be one of the most diverse and unique songs Bloc Party has ever witten, with four distinct sections all with their own respective climaxes and lyrics that wonderfully sum up the detatched indifference in the youth of today’s society (for the full lyrics click here, courtesy of James from Blog Party). Fortunately for everyone, a very high-quality recording of the song has surfaced on the internet that is even more clear and crisp than the Coachella recording from a few months back. Download the new track below to get a better glimpse at the evolution of Bloc Party’s songwriting and the new style that is to be featured on the group’s sophomore album in favor of the dance punk sound they’ve come to be known for. Russell Lissack’s guitar solo in the song’s waning moments is his perhaps his best ever, and my desire to hear a studio version of the track grows more and more insufferable with every passing day.
MP3: “Uniform” (Live @ Intonation, 6.25.06) - Bloc Party ((highly recommended))