This week’s NME Awards Souvenir Box Set Issue features Bloc Party’s cover of Nellie Furtado’s ‘Say it Right’ alongside an interview with Kele regarding the NME Big Gig. Scan below [thanks to Blocparty.net]

Manic Street Preachers, Kaiser Chiefs, Bloc Party, Klaxons and The Cribs! (February 28)

Godlike Genius Awards, of course, get handed out every year at the Shockwaves NME Awards. It’s just how we roll. So what marks one Godlike Genius out from another? For NME’s money, it’s the ones that keep us guessing that are the most special – just as the Manic Street Preachers do at 02 Arena tonight. Not happy with merely squeezing a couple of covers into their set – the version of Rihanna’s ‘Umbrella’ that’s currently wearing out your hi-fi and a run-though of poodle-punk classic ‘She Sells Sanctuary’ by The Cult - they also drag out Catatonia’s reality TV star Cerys Mathews out for ‘Your Love Alone Is Not Enough’.

Seriously, we weren’t expecting that, lads.

Nor were we expecting to see the brothers Jarman go an entire Cribs set without spilling blood. We reckon it’s down to the calming influence of old grandfather indie Johnny Marr, who takes centre stage and steals the show during the Wakefield indie-punks’ set tonight. “This is a billion pound venue you’re all sitting in” Ryan helpfully reminds us during their whistlestop career tour, a journey that takes in ‘Hey Scenesters’ and ‘I’m A Realist’. His anti-commercial brain is probably doing overtime, imagining how many Transit vans and Ginsters pasties he could buy with such a giant sum of cash.

Next, Klaxons hit the stage dressed all in black, with James Righton and Jamie Reynolds decked-out in striking cloaked hoods. They look positively spooky, leading the throng through ‘Atlantis To Interzone’ and ‘Majik’ like the grim reapers of New Rave.

Meanwhile, a quick NME straw poll of fans tonight reveals Bloc Party to be the band most people are here to see apart from the Manics. Not that this stops Kele Okereke fretting about the band’s performance. “This is a massive place isn’t it?” he trembles at one point. “I saw Prince here a while ago and it wasn’t very intimate, so I hope you all have a good time.” He needn’t worry – ‘Flux’ and ‘The Prayer’ send the 02 into wild paroxysms of pleasure not seen since The Beatles and The Stones shared an NME Poll Winners bill.
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ARCTIC MONKEYS committed a highly unprofessional foul at the NME Awards – letting off evil-smelling stink bombs at the after-show party.

The quartet, who scooped three awards at the dull bash, cleared a huge area around them at the backstage bar by detonating the noxious explosives.

I was unlucky enough to have my nostrils burned by the eggy pong unleashed by the little chimps.

But the Sheffield lads’ bad behaviour didn’t end there.

After knocking back the free booze at the O2 bar, they were escorted from the venue by security when one of their posse sparked up a sneaky cigarette.

One unimpressed onlooker told me: “The lads were clearly in high spirits after their triumph and thought it would be hilarious to let off stink bombs.

“The stench was incredible, but they thought it was hysterical. They stayed for an hour or so, but left swiftly after lighting up in the area.” ALEX TURNER, MATT HELDERS, JAMIE COOK and NICK O’MALLEY added to their recent two-Brit haul by picking up best British Band, Track and Video gongs at the ceremony at London’s IndigO2 venue.

Their playground pranks just didn’t seem appropriate. In the last few years NEW ORDER, PRIMAL SCREAM, IAN BROWN, OASIS and many more have graced the bash with some proper swagger.

Yet the stink-bomb incident was the only sniff of proper rock ’n’ roll behaviour during the entire night.

It’s a sad indictment of how far standards have slipped in the trouble-making stakes when you have to rely on peaceable KELE OKEREKE from BLOC PARTY for a punch-up.

The indie megastar piled in to a bout of fisticuffs between an NME scribbler and a member of YOUNG KNIVES’ management.

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Bloc Party’s Kele Okereke broke up a scrap in the Hoxton Hotel after the bash, after another band’s associate went mental at a journalist who had given their band a bad review. The journo suffered a broken finger.

http://www.nme.com/

BLOC Party have splashed out on a fancy, expensive laser to blast away punters at the NME Awards Big Gig.

London’s O2 Arena will see the art rockers play alongside The Cribs, Klaxons and Kaiser Chiefs.

A source said: “All the bands want to put on a headline show so are breaking their budgets.

“Kele Okereke and the lads have invested in a flashy laser and a few guests have been lined up to send their congratulations to the Manics for their special award.

“It’s going to be quite a night.”

http://www.dailystar.co.uk

Reading and Leeds

The last big festival of the year and the last to make any official announcements but tickets are expected to go on sale sometime in March and ‘Metallica’, ‘Rage Against The Machine’ and ‘The Killers’ being touted as possible headliners, joined by ‘Editors’, ‘Manic Street Preachers’ and ‘Bloc Party‘.

http://www.albumvote.co.uk

Just got word last night from a prospective student.

It appears that Centenary has unleashed a series of packets announcing that both Bloc Party and Ben Folds will headline a concert in Centenary’s Gold Dome on Thursday, April 3rd. The event will be hosted by Admissions and Fighting Squirrels who have hosted comedians and musicians in the past, including Marc Broussard and Better than Ezra.
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Quickly a laundry list of opiates and other drugs made their way from his lips as he asked if I liked to party. That would be the oddly endearing Yannis of Foals for you after their Rough Trade in-store in London back in December. And tonight I’ve ventured up to Seattle to take in their last of three US gigs at Chop Suey.

When I saw them live on my last day/evening in London I was caught in between whether to break it down and dance or stand there in awe of their intensity and musicianship. Luckily the night before, Simon White, Bloc Party’s manager had shared a few tales about them culled from joint tour dates and also the fact that they kinda detest “Hummer” for its commercial viability at an aftershow. Therefore luckily I didn’t expect it as I didn’t receive it in the live setting.

NotOnTheGuestlist 

Here’s a vid of Kele DJing in Adelaide, Australia. Thanks to rlw37 for the upload…

Bloc Party - Friday 29th February & Maximo Park Live (DJ Set) at The Buttermarket Friday 28th March 
<> We are pleased to announce the massiveBloc Party will be appearing on Friday 29th February (TBC). Maximo Park will be appearing on Friday 28th March

Both playing live DJ sets

Full details, support and ticket prices to be announced shortly