When the Party Turns Serious Gary Ryan finds Bloc Party Frontman Kele Boldly Addressing Britain’S Lost Weekends

FRIDAY 22 » CITYLIFE MUSIC FEBRUARY 9, 2007 M.E.N. When the party turns serious Gary Ryan finds Bloc Party frontman Kele boldly addressing Britain’s lost weekends

ELE Okereke – well, it’s a small price to pay. A Weekend In The City opens I do think now it is time for a ness (“Asian people are skinny the reluctant star New album A Weekend In The with Song For Clay (Disappear change. We are committed to an- because they don’t cook their of Bloc Party – City is a concept record that aims Here), where Kele sings “East other album with Witchita, but food properly…” – CBB’s Jo can’t keep his to tackle the benighted state of London is a vampire/It sucks the after that who knows? I’m pretty O’Meara) that, while they might feelings corked the nation through the narrative joy right out of me’’, before sure that I will be leaving the not have used any racial epithets, any longer. of getting paralytic in the capital; sneering “live the dream like the country soon.” still highlights prejudiced behav- When the quar- from the substance-induced eu- Eighties never happened.’’ The spiky Hunting For ior.’’ tet arrived in phoria of Friday night to Sun- “With that song,” he muses, “I Witches – inspired by the after- The lure – or illusionary es- 2005K with debut Silent Alarm, day’s thoughts of suicide. was trying to describe a specific math of the 7/7 bombings – tack- cape route – of cocaine is ex- they were the wild cards of the “I wanted to make an album kind of socialite that you meet, les the tabloids’ crusade against plored in the track, On, and first art-rock pack. In comparison to that genuinely reflected my head- the rich kid from the home coun- immigration and how racism is single, The Prayer. “It really is the loquacious likes of Franz Fer- space at the end of 2005,” Kele ties that comes to live for a few ingrained in both the media and endemic of life in the capital,” dinand and Kaiser Chiefs, they considers. “It seemed like I was years in fashionable East London public consciousness. With this sighs Kele. “I’m not particularly weren’t “fun” to interview: unlike on an eternal comedown. I was on daddy’s money. That is litera- in mind, did the outcry over al- against the idea of people self- those bands, Kele’s mouth wasn’t hungover for the entire last half lly the only type of person that I leged racist bullying in Celebrity medicating, but cocaine has al- a Pez dispenser of soundbites. of 2005 and I was wondering ever meet in East London. Big Brother strike you as a ways struck me as a pointlessly For two years, he awkwardly why. I’ve always been sceptical of “The reference to the Eighties positive indication of Britain’s self-aggrandising drug.’’ Eternal dodged questions about race and that sort of behavior and I think is that it’s probably the most re- willingness to embrace multi- outsiders, when they emerged sexuality, scrupulously refusing that scepticism really bled into viled decade in recent history, culturalism? Bloc Party were viewed as the to prostitute his inner feelings in the record.” which saw a lot of incredibly vile “The saddest thing about the “cerebral” band. Liam Gallagher order to flog a few records. It’s a work that’s infused with social traits emerge: rampant whole CBB situation was it noted that they looked like a Uni- Which is why, after that time blistering anger; the life painted consumerism, brutal one-up- looked like, for a second, Britain versity Challenge team. BRAVE SECOND ALBUM spent guarding his privacy, it’s is bleak but painfully recognisa- manship and shameless self pro- was going to have a very public “I think it’s sad that, because » Bloc Party, with Kele perhaps surprising that he’s re- ble: reality as dystopia. “I was motion. These emergent traits discussion about race, something we read and watch the news and second right, paint a bleak corded an album that invites the wondering why all my friends have now become staples of our that it has been very resistant to have opinions, we are somehow picture of city life media to ram-raid its way into his from school who had just fin- society. And I think it’s frighten- really do. But it quickly dena- seen as being cerebral,” points personal life. ished higher education now felt ing that people do not notice this tured into vilification of Jade out Kele. “What does that say The reason, however, is simple so disappointed with what life any more.” Goody,” he says. about the state of modern music? just a pastiche of a pastiche.” – Kele’s decided that Bloc Party is was offering,” he explains. Of course, the corrosive effect “The views that Jade had were “To be honest, I don’t pay Bloc Party formed while Kele a band that needs to say some- “All my friends had gotten into that the big smoke has on mental no different to those I feel a lot of much attention to my ‘peers’,” he and guitarist Russell Lissack thing, a band with a craving to cocaine or were suicidal, or hav- stability begs the question: Why people in the UK have. Watching snarls. “It’s all so hackneyed, were at university, recruiting address wider social issues other ing nervous breakdowns. I just stay there, Kele? her reminded me of going to these new bands dressing up in bassist Gordon Moakes and than looking good on dance- wanted to explore why this was “London is a beautiful but in- school in the suburbs of Essex, identikit rock ’n’ roll outfits say- drummer Matt Tong through floors. And if that means he all modern life had to offer young furiating city. I have lived here where Jo and Jade are from. ing supposedly incendiary things small ads. They set out, says Gor- leaves himself open to prying … people: a sad compromise.” through literally all of my life and There is a certain small minded- about nothing in particular. It’s don, as “a reaction to really boor-