Bloc Party and The Noisettes
Words: Amanda Collins
Photos: Michael Spadoni

Appeared:
May 28, 2007
Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg

I agreed to go to this show because a girlfriend of mine bought me a ticket, but I had no idea who Bloc Party was.  After a relentless weekend, I had honestly forgotten about the damn thing until that Monday morning when she called to coordinate outfits. The surprises had already begun. 

When we arrived, the guards told us Bloc Party was on in 45 minutes so we had plenty of time to drink.  After a couple of rum and cokes, we make our way to the front.  A band takes the stage, but it wasn’t Bloc Party.  Instead, we were introduced to The Noisettes and they blew everyone away! Shingai (vocals/bass) was non-stop, bouncing herself off of the drums and stage monitors throughout their set. Their first appearance in Tampa Bay was over so fast and I really didn’t want it to end.

All of a sudden, I was surrounded by a bunch of kids and people like me trying to stay fly. Bloc Party finally took the stage and the crowd compacted and pushed forward. I wasn’t into their “scene” beforehand, but they got me totally hyped. I have to say, they rocked.  The band encouraged crowd participation and for our efforts we were rewarded with really catchy songs and an energy level equal to our own.  My friend said it was going to be fun and she was right.