It’s no secret. I am a big fan of the Bowery Present’s Terminal 5 (T5). So after getting a call Sunday night about tickets for one of England’s best indie rock bands, I was enthused. Intimacy has been playing non-stop on my iTunes. The album is a natural and innovative progression for the band, picking up where Weekend in The City left off. A new electronic bed has been made by the London natives (via drum machines, vocal processors, sampling loops, etc), and works in their favor as strong points of their “relationship record” are solidified. Those who loved Silent Alarm should not go running for the hills either. While Intimacy is not a complete facelift, it simply may not be for every alternative indie fan, and should be given more than one listen.
In comparison to my previous T5 experiences, there was a very diverse crowd in attendance. You had hipsters, thirty-something, working folk, young kids from the suburbs, and everyone else in between, all tolerating each other (I’ll get to the show antics later). Too bad my cell phone camera could only document the well-lit stage.
As Kele Okereke walked onto the stage, he did not resemble your typical indie band vocalist/guitarist. Sporting short dreads and a red Addidas tracksuit (perhaps hinting that the group's set would be a thorough workout) he playfully asked the New York fans with a wide grin whether they liked his “get up”. In return, he received an inviting uproar. It can’t hurt to start charming your fans early. Soon after, they ferociously launched into “One Month Off”, the latest single from Intimacy. Many of the fans around me noted how much better the tune about adding fuel to feisty break ups sounded live. I quickly agreed and decided not to tell them that they were preaching to the choir.
The band played a strong set filled with raw alternative rockers like “Banquet” and “Positive Tension” mixed in with ballad-ish numbers like “Signs”, “Song for Clay (Disappear)” and “Ion Square”. (Who knew the xylophone and piano could fit so well with this genre?) This time around, Bloc Party’s sound contained a significant number of electronic pulses. Rhythm section Gordon Moakes and Matthew Tong provided a solid foundation for Okereke and guitarist Russell Lissack to play both straight ahead at times and make sonic explorations at others. The cross-genre “Mercury” was one of the shows highlights, as the London natives gathered all the local energy into an electro-freak-out. They had full command and Okereke wanted things to get even seedier (its what us kids are saying now a days), but only if the crowd was up for it.
While this is not a completely new sound, it does mark a shift. Such a foray into new newer territory was met with abundant fan support. They happily danced, head banged, and fist pumped without a care. Silent Alarm numbers “Like Eating Glass” and “This Modern Love” were injected towards the shows end alongside newer numbers like “Halo” and “The Prayer”. Okereke capitalized on those aggressive moments and connected with the audience on multiple levels. When the band divided into “Ares”, Okereke climbed the PA to the elation of the sold-out crowd, and traveled with mic in hand across T5 as he “declared a war”. The youngsters took advantage of this and created pseudo-mosh pits reminiscent of Lollapalooza in years past. Everyone left content in the hopes that Bloc Party would not wait another 2-plus years to return to New York City.
J.P Leonardi
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