WEDNESDAY 31 JANUARY: Admittedly, years of gig going can make you somewhat cynical. Tickets to see the first of three sold out nights at the Astoria by Bloc Party can be met with an apathy that the musical Gods on Mount Olympus will no doubt punish me for at a later date. Still, they’d probably forgive me if they were going to the gig with the same person as me. She keeps yelping and jumping spontaneously on our journey to the venue which is never a healthy thing to see in a grown woman. How can a band this serious inspire such face-splitting grinning on her part? There’s no accounting for taste I suppose. Still, such boundless enthusiasm can be a bit wearing, so when she suggests heading downstairs and getting involved, I decline and head to the balcony to watch the show.

I leave Grandpa on the balcony with a pint to frown into so that I can throw myself about with the heads upfront. Even Kele himself is beaming tonight, meekly thanking us for making it down and sealing every line he sings with a grin. A soaring rendition of 'This Modern Love' slows the mosh for a minute or four; the frenetic guitar work of 'Helicopter,' gives us groundlings the sweating, stamping action we're craving.

Bassist Gordon steps up to showcase his drumming skills on a kit alongside Matt Tong's, and fresh track 'Waiting For The 7.18' has jungle tinged rhythms that the band pull off with flair. The new LP isn't out yet but several fans recite Kele's most recent lyrics in earnest - the love is all around. OK, I admit it, she was right. From the primordial pounding bedlam of 'The Prayer' to the mocking urban despair of 'Song For Clay,' this is a band who are laying claim to 2007 and will take it by whatever means necessary. The Astoria hasn't seen chaos on this scale for a long time, and it should mark the beginning of Bloc Party's rise to dominance.

TEXT: KARL O'KEEFFE & LUCY WILSON