Bloc Party & The Cribs Live

Alexandra Palace
Friday 14th December


If a band is trying to gage how far they have progressed, playing Alexandra Palace is the acid test. “Let’s pretend for a moment that this is a sweaty little club instead of a huge exhibition centre,” pleads Kele Okereke. When you are facing a hall more suited for a political conference than a gig, this isn’t an easy task. Bloc Party manage it with a jerky medley of understated style and in-your-face bravado.

The Cribs find the transition less comfortable. Chaotic kings of sticky-floored settings nationwide, in front of a larger audience they sound flat. ‘Our Bovine Public’ is a disastrous opener marred by the venue’s notoriously troublesome acoustics and poor timing. Things improve with ‘Hey Scenesters’, the Jarman brothers mastering the mix between enthusiastic thrashing and maintaining rhythm.

Three albums in, the band have an array of songs to choose from, but pluck mostly from latest record Men’s Needs, Women’s Needs, Whatever. Despite the catchiness of singles ‘Moving Pictures’ and ‘Men’s Needs’, there is a surprising lack of reaction from an audience still muttering about the injustice of £3.50 pints. ‘Another Number’ is the highlight, raising spirits and arms in an enthralling surge of simplicity. But Ryan’s inability to perform a trademark stagedive due to the gap between him and the audience is ironically representative of the distance between The Cribs’ sound and its suitability for venues like this.

Bloc Party have a few more tricks, a few more hits, and a lot more showmanship. These don’t make a band great, but they make a crowd move. ‘Positive Tension’ is unleashed early, a juddering, uneven triumph; ‘Banquet’ follows sharply, still sounding audaciously fresh.

Singer Kele revels in his shape-shifting role, simultaneously a siren of despair and a symbol of debauchery. He exudes energy during a raucous rendition of ‘She’s Hearing Voices’, he glows with emotion through a tender ‘So Here We Are.’ Matt Tong may look like an IT expert and has an annoying tendency to take his shirt off, but he drums with imagination and tenacity, keeping an ungainly momentum to Bloc Party’s performance.

They generate a thrilling sense of occasion that peaks as the band reappear with latest single ‘Flux.’ Often you wish Russell would stop messing about with effects and just play his guitar; here, the sound soars, lasers blaze above and the track zips by with outrageous rapidity. ‘Sunday’ adds balance and warmth, before a wired race through ‘Helicopter’ and the grand exploration of ‘Pioneers’ complete the set. Bloc Party pace the gig expertly, controlling its tone. Everyone leaves feeling it speeded past, yet was exhaustingly epic. Test passed.

Kings of Leon Live

Kings of Leon
Brighton Centre
Thursday 6th December

Kings of Leon look angry. “You guys sing along,” shouts Caleb Followill. “Because the technicians are fucking terrible tonight.” They’re definitely annoyed. Having made the move to venues that resemble airport terminals, they now have to adjust to sound systems that have all the subtlety of a 747.

Despite the technical problems, the preachers’ sons show why they’re able to fill such vast venues. Opening with Slow Night, So Long, they play with carnal force and relentless tenacity. Black Thumbnail continues the coarse, spirited sound of a band in charge. The stage set is sparse; four large screens show images ranging from a creepy pole dancer to Caleb’s impossibly skinny legs. It feels aptly uncluttered, providing a platform for the music, not a distraction.

With so many arena-friendly anthems, the band can be selective with their setlist. However, they lean heavily on latest album ‘Because of the Times’, following the logic that this record catapulted them into indie’s top bracket, so should be flogged mercilessly to keep them there. McFearless showcases Nathan’s ferocious drumming, full of beguiling flair and mesmerising complexity. Fans is dainty and well-received, while On Call’s bellowed refrain reverberates passionately. But once they charge through Camaro’s clunky chug, preceding a droll Ragoo and a plodding Arizona, the new songs sound saturated.

Where are the band’s brash, grubby roots? Except a snappy shot of Holy Roller Novocaine, songs from debut album Youth and Young Manhood are conspicuous in their absence in the first hour. The unkempt rawness that made Kings of Leon fresh and invigorating is also missing. Milk is delivered with sincerity, but the set begins to lag.

Thankfully, a thunderous Molly’s Chambers revives proceedings, a bombardment of plundering masculinity. Suddenly, Spiral Staircase flashes past in a whirr of frenetic gusto, Trani adds an atmosphere of epic oddity and chaotic order is restored. The Followill family return to cajole the throngs with a smouldering rendition of ‘Knocked Up, before Four Kicks and Charmer close in an assault of blazing, primal rage.

Kings of Leon seem a more mature, less reckless outfit and poorer for it. Their newfound ability to produce hit singles (or the public’s newfound ability to realise they write hit singles) will ensure they have time to regain their edge. With such a powerful arsenal of songs, coupled with genuine instrumental ability, they’re still an incredible live prospect - even with poor sound, a soulless venue and a lop-sided setlist.

Tottenham Hotpur 3-2 Aalborg BK

Juande Ramos’ Midas touch in the UEFA Cup continued as he oversaw Tottenham Hotspur surmount a 2-0 half-time deficit to defeat Aalborg BK.

Ramos has won the tournament with Seville two years running; his new side are well placed to reach the knockout stages after a victory that looked very unlikely at one stage.

Aalborg out-battled and out-thought Spurs in the first half and were good value for their two goal lead. But Tottenham stormed back after the break, blitzing the opposition with three goals in 20 minutes. Second half goals from Dimitar Berbatov, the impressive Steed Malbranque and substitute Darren Bent sealed a 3-2 win.

White Hart Lane was stunned into silence after one minute and 50 seconds when Thomas Enevoldsen, the Aalborg striker, scored with a venomous shot from 20 yards. Collecting lifelong Spurs fan Martin Pedersen’s throw, he shrugged off a half-hearted challenge from Robbie Keane, the Tottenham captain, before rifling the ball past Paul Robinson’s despairing dive.

Spurs were tentative after this early setback and the ball broke down in central areas too often. Jermaine Jenas injected some pace into their play in the 15th minute when his driving run forced a corner, but the home side’s attacks were not as direct or as frequent as Aalborg’s.

As Tottenham’s frustrations grew, so too did the Danish side’s confidence and they began dictating play. Young Pyo Lee, playing in an unfamiliar right-back role, was caught napping as Rade Prica raided down the wing. Lee appeared to bundle him over in the penalty area, but the referee gave a corner.

Spurs did not heed this warning. In the 37th minute, Lee was again out of position and Prica took full advantage. He crossed accurately to Kasper Risgaard, who stabbed the ball in from three yards after getting in front of Michael Dawson.

Aalborg were playing their 19th game of their European campaign, having qualified through this season’s Intertoto Cup. They had won only two of their previous fixtures, drawing six. Yet their organised approach outwitted Tottenham’s unbalanced play in the first half.

Juande Ramos didn’t scream at his players at half-time; it appears this isn’t his style. “The most important thing is to explain things,” he said. “Not to shout at them, but to solve problems.”

He did this by introducing Darren Bent for the woeful Lee and Tom Huddlestone for Jermaine Jenas, who picked up an ankle injury. Huddlestone made an instant impact. After 39 second-half seconds, his subtle through-ball fed Dimitar Berbatov, who slid in to poke the ball past Aalborg goalkeeper Karin Zaza.

The visitors looked shell-shocked as Tottenham increased the tempo and tenacity of their play. Altering their formation to 4-3-3, with Bent joining Berbatov and Keane in a three-pronged attack and Didier Zokora slotting in front of a back three, rejuvenated the home side.

Berbatov revelled in the improved service he was given. After 50 minutes, he showed strength and hunger to power past two defenders before squaring the ball to Bent. His shot was blocked, but Keane calmly laid the rebound off to Steed Malbranque, who smashed it into the roof of the net.

Aalborg dropped deeper as they sought to steady themselves, but this only allowed Huddlestone to pull the strings in midfield. He was able to bring Spurs’ wide players, largely ineffective in the first half, into play. Malbranque probed intelligently on the left, while Aaron Lennon’s speed caused havoc on the right.

It was Lennon who created the winner for Bent, Ramos’ other inspired substitution. Gareth Bale’s free-kick was parried out to the diminutive winger and he drilled the ball to Bent who poached from four yards.

Their endeavour in the first 45 minutes had drained Aalborg’s energies and they lacked the guile to force an equaliser. Ramos’ half-time changes turned the match around. But the Spaniard is aware his side need to improve if they are to progress further in this competition and climb the Premier League.

“At the moment we are conceding too many chances,” he said. “We can’t rely on us scoring three goals each time.” With such sloppy defenders, he may have to, but with so many attacking options, they just might manage it.