Bloc Party facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bloc Party
Bloc Party performing live in 2019. From Left to Right: Lissack, Okereke, Harris, and Bartle
Background information
Origin	London, England
Genres	Indie rock post-punk revival alternative dance dance-punk post-Britpop alternative rock art punk
Years active	1999–present
Labels	BMG Wichita Frenchkiss Atlantic Infectious Vagrant Transgressive Trash Aesthetics Vice Arts & Crafts Dim Mak Dew Process
Associated acts	Pin Me Down Young Legionnaire Menomena Novacub
Members	Kele Okereke Russell Lissack Justin Harris Louise Bartle
Past members	Gordon Moakes Matt Tong

Bloc Party is an English rock band. Its members are Kele Okereke (who sings and plays guitar), Russell Lissack (lead guitar), Justin Harris (bass guitar), and Louise Bartle (drums). The band started in 1999 at the Reading Festival.

Bloc Party's music mixes rock with sounds from electronica and house music. They became famous after sharing their demo song "She's Hearing Voices" with BBC Radio 1 DJ Steve Lamacq and Franz Ferdinand's singer, Alex Kapranos.

Their first album, Silent Alarm, came out in 2005. It was a big hit and won 'Indie Album of the Year'. Their second album, A Weekend in the City (2007), reached number two in the UK. In 2008, they released Intimacy. The band took breaks to work on other projects. They released Four in 2012, Hymns in 2016, and Alpha Games in 2022. Their latest album, High Life, was released in 2023. Bloc Party has sold over 3 million albums worldwide.

How Bloc Party Started and Grew (1999–2004)

Russell Lissack and Kele Okereke first met in London in 1998. They met again at Reading Festival in 1999 and decided to form a band. Bassist Gordon Moakes joined after seeing an ad in NME magazine. Drummer Matt Tong joined after an audition.

The band tried different names like Union and Diet. In 2003, they chose "Bloc Party". The name is a play on "block party", which is a street party. The band said the name was not about politics.

In 2003, Bloc Party's song "The Marshals Are Dead" was on a compilation CD. They then released their first single, "She's Hearing Voices". Kele Okereke gave a copy of this song to Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand and DJ Steve Lamacq. Lamacq played the song on his radio show and called it "genius". This helped the band get noticed. They signed with Wichita Recordings in 2004.

Silent Alarm Album Success (2004–2006)

Bloc Party's Lissack and Okereke performing in Cardiff in 2005.

Bloc Party's first album, Silent Alarm, was released in February 2005. Critics loved it. NME magazine named it 'Album of the Year' for 2005. It reached number 3 on the UK Albums Chart and sold very well.

The first single from the album, "So Here We Are/Positive Tension", was a top 5 hit in the UK. Other singles like "Banquet", "Helicopter", and "Pioneers" also did well. The band toured a lot in the United States. Silent Alarm sold over 350,000 copies in North America and over a million worldwide.

In 2005, The Chemical Brothers worked with Kele Okereke on their song "Believe". Also, a remix album called Silent Alarm Remixed was released. It featured remixes by artists like Ladytron and M83.

Bloc Party recorded two new songs, "Two More Years" and "Little Thoughts". These were added to a re-issue of Silent Alarm. The band also gave their song "The Present" to the Help!: A Day in the Life album, which raised money for the War Child charity.

A Weekend in the City and Touring (2006–2008)

Bloc Party performing in London in 2005.

Bloc Party's second album, A Weekend in the City, came out in February 2007. It quickly reached number 2 on the UK Albums Chart. It also did well in Australia, Belgium, and the US.

The first single from the album, "The Prayer", was released in January. It became the band's highest-charting single in the UK, reaching number 4. The next single, "I Still Remember", was their highest-charting song in America. They also released "Hunting for Witches" and the electronic song "Flux".

The band played many live shows after the album came out. They performed at BBC Radio 1 Big Weekend, Live Earth at Wembley Stadium, and major festivals like Glastonbury and Reading and Leeds Festivals. They also toured Australia and New Zealand. In October 2007, they performed with the Exmoor Singers choir in London.

Intimacy and a Break (2008–2011)

"Mercury" was the first single from Bloc Party's third album, Intimacy, released in August 2008. The album was available to download shortly after it was announced. The band played at the Reading and Leeds Festivals.

They toured North America and played their first concert in South America. Another single, "Talons", was released in October 2008. A remix album of Intimacy, called Intimacy Remixed, came out in May 2009.

In July 2009, the band said they didn't have a new recording contract. They released a new single, "One More Chance", in August 2009. After this, the band took a break. During this time, the members worked on their own projects. Kele Okereke released a solo album called The Boxer in 2010.

New Music and Line-up Changes (2011–2015)

Bloc Party performing songs from Four in 2012.

Bloc Party started writing new songs in 2011. Their fourth album, Four, was released on August 20, 2012. It was recorded in New York City. The album reached number three on the UK Albums Chart. Singles from this album included "Octopus", "Day Four", "Kettling", and "Truth".

In 2013, the band played new songs during their North American tour. They announced an EP called The Nextwave Sessions, which was released in August.

During their 2013 summer tour, drummer Matt Tong left the band. In October 2013, the band announced they would take another break. In March 2015, bassist Gordon Moakes also left. Kele Okereke and Russell Lissack began working on new songs together in late 2014.

Bloc Party showed off their new members in August 2015. Justin Harris joined on bass guitar, and Louise Bartle became the new drummer. These shows also featured new songs like "Eden" and "Exes".

Hymns and Silent Alarm Live (2015–2019)

Bloc Party performing in 2015.

Bloc Party's fifth album, Hymns, was released on January 29, 2016. It was the first album to feature Justin Harris and Louise Bartle.

Later in 2016, the band released a new song called 'Stunt Queen'. Kele Okereke said it was released to celebrate their performance at the Hollywood Bowl. This song was one of the first new ones written with Justin and Louise.

In 2018, Bloc Party announced a tour where they would play their first album, Silent Alarm, in full. This tour was very popular, so they added more dates in 2019.

Recent Albums and Tours (2020–Present)

In January 2020, Kele Okereke announced that Bloc Party was writing a new album. On September 22, 2021, the band shared a sneak peek of their sixth album's progress.

On November 23, 2021, Bloc Party released "Traps", the first single from their sixth album, Alpha Games. The album came out on April 22, 2022. Other singles from the album included "The Girls Are Fighting" and "If We Get Caught".

In October 2022, it was announced that Bloc Party would open for Paramore on their 2023 tours in the UK, Ireland, and North America.

On June 21, 2023, Bloc Party announced a new EP called The High Life EP. It was released a month later, on July 21. The EP included singles "High Life" and "Keep It Rolling".

Bloc Party's Music Style

Bloc Party's music is often called indie rock, post-punk revival, and alternative rock. They are influenced by bands like The Chemical Brothers, Pixies, and The Smiths. Kele Okereke has said that Mogwai's album Mogwai Young Team changed his life.

The band uses many special effects pedals to create their unique sound. Their second album, A Weekend in the City, had more layers and string arrangements than their first.

With songs like "Flux" and "Mercury", Bloc Party started to use more electronic music sounds. Their third album, Intimacy, featured synthesizers, drum loops, and vocal effects. Even with these electronic influences, the band still kept their guitar sound.

Band Members

Current Members

• Kele Okereke – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, sampler, electric piano (1999–present)
• Russell Lissack – lead guitar, sampler, synthesizer, programming (1999–present)
• Justin Harris – bass guitar, backing vocals, synthesizer, glockenspiel, saxophone (2015–present; on break since 2023)
• Louise Bartle – drums, percussion, backing vocals (2015–present)

Current Touring Musicians

• Harry Deacon – bass guitar, backing vocals (2023–present)

Former Members

• Gordon Moakes – bass guitar, backing vocals, keyboards, synthesizer, drums, glockenspiel (2002–2015)
• Matt Tong – drums, percussion, backing vocals (2002–2013)

Former Touring Musicians

• Sarah Jones - drums, percussion (2013)
• Daniel Pugsley – bass guitar, keyboards, backing vocals (2023)

Timeline

Discography

Studio Albums

• Silent Alarm (2005)
• A Weekend in the City (2007)
• Intimacy (2008)
• Four (2012)
• Hymns (2016)
• Alpha Games (2022)

Awards and Nominations

Bloc Party has received several awards and nominations. They were nominated for 'Best New Artist' at the 2005 NME Awards. They were also nominated for 'Best Alternative Act' at the 2005 MTV Europe Music Awards. In 2006, they were up for 'Best British Band' at the NME Awards.

Their first album, Silent Alarm, was nominated for the 2005 Mercury Music Prize. It won the 'Best Album' award from NME magazine. The song "Helicopter" was also nominated for 'Best Music Video' at the 2006 PLUG Awards. Silent Alarm won 'Best Indie Rock Album' at the 2006 PLUG Awards. In 2008, their song "Flux" was nominated for 'Best Track', 'Best Video', and 'Best Dancefloor Filler' at the NME Awards.