Live Review: Bloc Party, Haiku Hands

Haiku Hands know how to get the party started with their banging tunes to kickstart a rave. “We’re on an arena!” shouts Beatrice Lewis as the group works every inch of the massive stage. It’s a high-intensity workout as they get down to their track Squat, with synchronised air punch and fist bump dance moves that slowly catch on as the arena fills up. They throw streamers at the audience as they shout out through megaphones over huge earthmoving beats. Their unapologetic genre bending anthems can seem somewhat disjointed at times throughout the eclectic set, but it’s a lot of fun and they keep the energy levels at a consistent high all the way through.

Bloc Party literally blow the roof off the arena tonight as the ceiling opens up. “Without any further ado, let us take you back to 2005,” says frontman Kele Okereke. Tonight is a celebration of the band’s very first album Silent Alarm and although some of their members have changed over the years, it feels more powerful than ever. There’s something special about experiencing a favourite album live and in full – the way it was intended to be listened to. Tonight they add another twist and give Silent Alarm a whole new life by flipping it around and playing it back to front, starting off with the last track Compliments. 

“You know what, Melbourne? I think I need a drink. I’m not supposed to be drinking on this tour, but this is a special occasion. Cheers,” says Okereke as he takes a sip of beer. They really start to ramp things up and get the party started by the time they reach Price Of Gasoline and continue to build momentum as they progressively move towards the front end of the album with huge crowd pleasers including She’s Hearing Voices and Banquet. Beloved track This Modern Love marks the halfway point and confetti explodes over the audience for an exciting moment. Like Eating Glass rounds out the 13 tracks of their debut record but they don’t stop there.

“G’day, Melbourne,” says Okereke as the band returns for an encore. “So we’ve played Silent Alarm, now we’re going to enjoy some other songs.” They continue to deliver a powerhouse performance with two bonus tracks from the Silent Alarm re-release, including Little Thoughts and Two More Years, which Okereke reveals is about a boy from Melbourne. They then continue with a golden oldie called Skeleton, one track from their most recent album Hymns, and two from their second album A Weekend In The City. Flux is the final song of the set and has Okereke belting out a huge lasting note for a big finish. They take a bow and the sold-out arena gives a standing ovation to praise an emotional and exhilarating trip down memory lane.