Bristol’s harbourside was well and truly alive over the weekend as the Amphitheatre transformed for the annual Siren Festival. The site buzzed with energy, independent food trucks, lively bars, and of course a main stage ready to soundtrack the summer evening with music drifting across the water, ensuring that all the senses were accounted for. Friday’s sold-out event saw BBC Radio’s Huw Stephens deliver a crowd-warming DJ set packed with indie classics and festival favourites, setting the perfect tone as golden hour settled over the harbour. Drinks and good vibes flowed, the atmosphere lifted, and anticipation built. Liz Lawrence followed, her introspective lyrics woven through upbeat, guitar-led tracks. Her band’s nonchalant confidence and tight musicianship were captivating, and it felt like a breakthrough moment for many in the crowd who may not have been familiar with her previously.
At 9pm sharp, just as the sun was beginning to set, indie darlings Bloc Party took to the stage in celebration of both twenty years as a band and of their seminal debut album ‘Silent Alarm’. It quickly became clear that this was not going to be a typical anniversary show for the record, where an album is played from start to finish. Instead, they opened with the immediately recognisable kaleidoscopic jangles of ‘So Here We are’, as if to announce their arrival. This track, exuding reflection and warm nostalgia may not have been an energetic high to start on, but it created an intimate atmosphere that laid the emotional groundwork for the more explosive moments to come. This was certainly delivered by ‘She’s Hearing Voices’ which followed, with the stage lights pulsing hypnotically in coloured sync as frontman Kele Okereke repeated, ‘red pill, blue pill,’ the crowd yelling it back in unison.
Tracks like ‘Hunting for Witches’, ‘Mercury’, and ‘Banquet’ no doubt reignited memories of sticky indie club nights for many in the crowd, each one met with cheers of recognition. The band were tight, confident, and clearly having fun throughout. Drummer Louise Bartle in particular was magnetic, firmly anchoring the set with precision and flair so well that even Kele couldn’t resist praising her mid-set, remarking, “She makes it look easy!”.
As the set edged toward its inevitable close, several standout moments were still to come in the encore. ‘Signs’ was beautifully introspective, allowing bassist Harry Deacon’s glockenspiel to shine. The delicate, chiming notes echoed hauntingly across the Amphitheatre, cutting through the evening with a quiet poignancy during this song of love and loss. “This one’s a tune”, Kele proclaimed before launching into the groove of penultimate song ‘Ratchet’. A Bloc Party show would of course not be complete without arguably their most recognisable song, ‘Helicopter’, giving way for lead guitarist Russell Lissack to show off that iconic jagged riff, exuding the heart of early 2000s indie. Lastly came ‘This Modern Love’, which delivered a slow-burning crescendo, the shimmering layered guitars worked in unison with Kele’s vocals not once faltering, closing the night on a heartfelt moment at the end of a set that balanced the combination of chaos and tenderness in their music.
One additional thing I noticed (which might be uncool to admit) was the refreshing lack of phones in the air. At shows of this size, you’d usually expect a glaring sea of screens recording every moment, but instead, people were dancing, singing along, climbing onto their friends’ shoulders, and even the occasional mosh pit erupting. As cliché as it might sound, people were genuinely living in the moment and it felt like Bloc Party had transported the crowd straight back to their heyday – not just through their music, but in the way that music and community fused on this idyllic summer night by the water, proving that they have created a lot more to celebrate in two decades than just the success of ‘Silent Alarm’.
Words: Phoebe Messenger
Images: Anna Hatfield
Role: Reviewer
Outside of my day job, I’m a regular gig-goer and have always enjoyed writing articles to fuel the passion even further, whether that be through reviews for live shows or for full albums.
Available for: Gig reviews, album/single reviews and artist interviews.
First attended gig: The first show I bought a ticket to myself was 30 Seconds To Mars supported by Enter Shikari at the Brighton Centre.
First gig reviewed: The first gig I reviewed was a showcase of underground DIY rock acts dubbed ‘Deprestlemania’ at The Victoria in Dalston.
Dream gig: Alice in Chains (Layne era) or Pearl Jam in the 90s
@anna.h_photos
Role: Photographer/ Journalist
Available for: Gig and press phototography, album shoots, music videos, tour coverage
Qualification: 1st class BA photojournalism degree
First attended gig: First ticketed gig I remember is Newton Faulkner but there was plenty of live music that I saw growing up in the folk scene in Cornwall
First gig shot: Rattler Fest for all three days
Dream gig: It's too hard to pick just one, and i'm lucky enough to have been able to shoot some of my bucket list bands already, so top 3 would have to be Frank Turner, The Hives, and Twenty One Pilots