EMMA LEE UEA LCR, Norwich

EMMA LEE

> UEA LCR, Norwich

Art rockers Bloc Party's set on the first day of this year's Glastonbury Festival banished the misery of being up to my knees in mud.

Would their show at Norwich's UEA last night be up to the same standard?

The long sold-out gig was opened by Norwich-based quartet Kaito, veterans of the city's gig circuit whose off-kilter, shouty disco, punk pop has won them rave reviews in the USA.

Despite saying it was scary to be on home turf, they delivered a polished set and their third album could see them receiving the wider recognition they deserve.

Bloc Party's set began with one of the stand-out tracks on their debut album Silent Alarm, the swooning So Here We Are.

Drummer Matt Tong, a former UEA student, drew cheers and a number of boos from the crowd when he ripped off his Norwich City T-shirt and sent a blunt message to their rivals Ipswich Town.

Bloc Party are one of the most original bands around and they clearly love being on stage - hence the crowd-pleasing multiple encores.

They didn't just live up to the memory of their Glastonbury performance - they way surpassed it.