Kele takes a bow

Thai indie fans have wanted a long time to see British post punk revival outfit Bloc Party on the Bangkok stage. This coming Thursday, they'll get a rare treat as Kele Okereke, the band's vocalist and guitarist, jets into town for a debut show at Centerpoint Studio. 

Bloc Party fells off the radar two years ago after wrapping their American tour. Okereke and the other three members agreed to take a break and pursue their own interests in different genres and styles of music. Okereke also discovered a liking for kickboxing. He trained hard and finally built a house of his own. 

But music was always his priority. Okereke took Sampling 101 and introduced himself to new style of electronic drumming, and in June last year, he wowed the British music critics with his solo debut titled "The Boxer" on Wichita Recordings. Produced by American producer XXXChange, the alternative dance CD with electro and house flair opened at number 20 in the UK Album Chart, and number two in UK Dance Chart with hits like "Tenderoni" and "Everything You Wanted". The album's third single "On The Lam" was released later in the year, gaining favourable reviews and nods from critics all over Europe. 

Okereke, 30, was born in Liverpool to Nigerian midwife mother and molecular biologist father. At 16 he became friends with Russell Lissack, who would become Bloc Party's guitarist. A year later, while studying at King's College London, Kele met Lissack again at Reading Festival, where the band was officially formed under the title of The Angel Range. In 2001, he went on to meet Gordon Moakes and Matt Tong who became the band's permanent bass guitarist and drummer, respectively. In 2003, the band changed its name to Bloc Party.

In 2005, Bloc Party released their first studio album, titled "Silent Alarm", which reached number three in the UK charts and catapulted the band to stardom. Despite this, Okereke continued to study English literature at university and kept his musical activities secret from his parents.

The second entry "A Weekend in the City" followed in 2007. The album debuted at number 12 in the Billboard 200 with 48,000 copies sold, and reached the second spot in the official UK Chart. 

The third album released by the band, "Intimacy", was initially only made available for purchase on their website as a download in August 2008. The record was released in compact disc form in October of that year, with Wichita Recordings as the primary label. It peaked at number 8 on the UK Albums Chart and entered the Billboard 200 in the United States at number 18. The band has been in hiatus after it conquered America in 2009. 

On the Bloc

- Kele Okereke performs at Centerpoint Studio on Sukhumvit Soi 105 on Thursday. The show starts at 8pm. Tickets are Bt1,200 and available from Thai Ticket Major. 

- Call (02) 262 3456 or visit www.ThaiTicketMajor.com.