Bloc Party Mystery Jets and The Infidels at The Welly - Thursday 21st October By Andy Dykes Photos by Darren Rogers

Photograph Gallery   Bloc Party Gallery 1,   Gallery 2,   Gallery 3,   Mystery Jets Gallery 4,   Gallery 5,   Gallery 6.

Once again, Sweet and Sour at The Welly have provided the people of Britain's critically acclaimed crappest town with another great line up including one of Britain's hottest new bands. I've heard that Bloc Party are the favourite band of the kid who plays Harry Potter in the films, and as I stand in the queue tonight, on my own..again, I can't help the feeling that there's magic in the air, although it may just be the smell of industry wafting over from the estate. Whatever the case may be, any suggestion of magic is quickly quashed when the music begins.

The Infidels are the first band to hit the stage tonight, and ease the audience into their set with a fairly bland number that does nothing to grab attention or capture imagination. The members of the band itself look bored. It doesn't make for a terribly entertaining show.

The best moment is a brief jam in between songs. Aside from that, the song 'Crying Shame' has some nice harmonies, but The Infidels never stray too far from the middle of the road. They're good..just not very. It's neither exhilarating, nor inspiring. They leave the stage with as little fuss as when they arrived on it, and hardly anyone notices.

Before Mystery Jets get their opportunity to woo tonight's crowd, a totally mental drum kit is posited at the front of the stage. Among its percussive elements, some mangled cymbals, pots, pans, an old tin kettle and a cat. Who knows what this is going to sound like.

The frontman takes his seat at the mental drum kit and behind him, the real drummer takes his seat at the real drum kit. They begin together, tapping out a beat. Quite a strange beat. Not long into it, they are joined by a bassist and two guitarists, and as everything kicks in together, it sounds like the apocalypse. Crazy, twisted beats merge with experimental keyboard sounds, and it's impossible to know what's going to happen next. Mystery Jets sound like a cross between The Mars Volta and later stuff by Radiohead. In short, they have technical ability in abundance and songs that sound and flow like dreams. There are insane time changes and four-way harmonies.

Instruments drop in and out of the mix with dizzying unpredictability, sometimes subtly, sometimes suddenly. God [sic] only knows how they stay together, but they most certainly do. This is a genuinely exciting band who need to be heard.

Bloc Party stroll onstage with an air of easiness and humility about them. That's probably due to the huge, but perhaps slightly bashful grin on the face of frontman Kele. It's charming. He says a few words and they're off. Bloc Party's general inter song congeniality is complemented beautifully by the professionally intense way in which they deal with their material.

For some reason, their music gets you right to the core. It's a little like they picked up where At the Drive-In and Nirvana left off. Bloc Party combine the genius of these two prematurely deceased, legendary bands in their anti melodic, frantic, intricate neo punk.

Aside from the rawness of it all, there are some really clever and subtle touches in the songs. In particular, some shenanigans with a delay pedal catch my attention as some crazy sound waves fly through the air. A brief one man stage invasion is greeted with bemused faces by the band, and is dealt with swiftly and effectively by a pissed off looking roadie. But the crowd love every second of it, and who can blame anyone for wanting to get up there too. I certainly wouldn't mind a go. It's an awesome show. Some might say..magical.

Photograph Gallery   Bloc Party Gallery 1,   Gallery 2,   Gallery 3,   Mystery Jets Gallery 4,   Gallery 5,   Gallery 6.

Photographs courtsey and Copyright © Darren Rogers 2004

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