Bloc Party cryptic about future during Reading Festival gig

Bloc Party hinted that they are to take a lengthy hiatus during their Main Stage Reading Festival gig tonight (August 30).

Before playing final song 'Helicopter', frontman Kele Okereke told the crowd that the band - who have now played the same Reading Festival slot for three years in a row - won't be back in 2010.

"We won't be back here next year... or for the next few years after that," he said to the vast crowd.

Okereke had earlier celebrated a decade of being in Bloc Party during their set. The singer told the massive audience the story of how he and guitarist Russell Lissack first hooked up at Reading Festival ten years ago.

"I decided to ask this guy here [Lissack] if he would play guitar for me... and the rest is history," Okereke said, before dedicating next track 'This Modern Love' to young musicians in the audience. "This next song goes out to any young kids in bands here."

Okereke also ordered Reading Festival security to get him a drink during the band's performance tonight.

"I can't even get a fucking drink!" the frontman said before playing 'Mercury', with a smile on his face. When a roadie appeared on stage to give him one, Okereke raised his thumbs towards the audience.

"Tonight I am gonna get fucked up!" he then quipped. The song saw the frontman jump into the audience and get carried on a security guard’s shoulders to greet fans at the barrier.

"You like that Reading, you like that?!" Okereke enquired after playing 'Banquet'.

Before playing recent single 'One More Chance', Okereke said: "I'm quite excited about this next song - it's the first, no, second time we've played it in the UK."

Towards the end of their set, Bloc Party praised tonight's Main Stage headliners Radiohead. "I saw Thom Yorke doing his chin-ups backstage, getting ready for the show," drummer Matt Tong joked, causing the crowd to cheer.

Bloc Party played:

'So Here We Are'
'Hunting For Witches'
'Positive Tension'
'Talons'
'Song For Clay (Disappear Here)'
'Banquet'
'Two More Years'
'One More Chance'
'Mercury'
'This Modern Love'
'The Prayer'
'Flux'
'Helicopter'


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