The last time I saw Kaito they were less than special. They had the songs, but they seemed as if they were just going through the motions. It seems the experience of another mini-tour has left its mark on the band, who no longer seemed complacent with their deserved local fame. The new songs now seem embedded in the set list, with the band starting to cement their punky Riot Grrl sound. Their image on stage is sparse, the convoluting guitarist on one side of the stage contrasting with the coolly motionless bassist on the other. The group break their atmospheric stage presence between songs, if only to say thank you to the crowd, again and again, showing just how grateful they are to be back on home turf. Drummer returns Bloc Party and the UEA go together like students and money problems. Drummer Matt Tong studied at the university, and its spirit lives on in the rhythm, technical beats and enticing stage play.  | | Kaito's Niki Colk |
Front man Kele Okereke announces, almost nonchalantly, 'We’re Bloc Party.' The crowd responds in an almost defiant gesture, 'Yeah!' Standout tune Banquet appears early on in the set, as it is now one of their older songs. It was this song that convinced me of the band's talent the last time I saw them at the UEA and it is still one of the best live songs I have ever seen performed. When the guitars start to shout at each other in the call and response riff, it's hard to stop jumping around. 'Stellar' set The set is, quite frankly, stellar. They rip through new classics from the album like they’ve written them 20 minutes before the gig - the ferocity and adrenaline of youth shines through the angular rhythms and layers of effects.  | | Kele steps up to the limelight |
This band are truly on fire, and their set qualifies the attention they are receiving in the mainstream media. Every song they start is like another greatest hit – the crowd sings along and surges through the pit like it's the last gig they will ever see. The throng directly in front of the band is like an ocean. The bodies move like water, washing with the pull of the music and the push of adrenaline. The excess amount of sweat and cooling water from the lifeguard-like bouncers at the front lets everyone know that, yes, they are having a lot of fun. I’m surprised I still have shoes! The band close on a second encore with Plans, which reminds me of the Mogwai remix on the recently released re-worked album. The band are one of the only outfits in the quickly weakening mainstream to try to push music forward, highlighted with their remix record and the diversity of their influences. The overwhelming atmosphere was one of here-and-now. Bloc Party and Kaito may never cross paths again throughout their career and either one may break up, but everyone at that gig became submerged, for a few hours, in the current state of British rock music, which is fervently alive. Bloc Party and Kaito played the UEA, Norwich, on Sunday 9 October 2005. Photo credits: Anthony Reed. | 
