Bloc Party: Tiny Desk Concert

Bloc Party: Tiny Desk Concert with tags npr, npr music, national public radio, live, performance, tiny desk, tiny desk concert, tony desk, tiny concert

Maia Stern | July 15, 2025

"Come on, Tiny D!" Kele Okereke excitedly yelps about a minute into Bloc Party's Tiny Desk concert. The English rock group's members were stoked to pay us a visit during their recent trip across the pond — and we were lucky to have them. They approached the Tiny Desk challenge with ease and delivered a carefully curated set with smiles and all.

This year marks two decades since the release of Bloc Party's enduring debut album. To celebrate, this Tiny Desk set begins with the super catchy and energetic pop anthem "Banquet" from Silent Alarm. The band continues with a couple songs from 2008's Intimacy: the shimmery, glockenspiel-forward "Signs," then "Mercury," where we give a sneak peek of Okereke's vocal effects rig under the Desk. Bloc Party closes with "Blue," a sweet song on the slower side of the band's catalog. It ends quietly, yet powerfully, as Okereke sings, "I fall asleep on your sleeve / with those three words in my dreams."

SET LIST

"Banquet"

"Signs"

"Mercury"

"Blue"

MUSICIANS

Kele Okereke: vocals, guitar

Russell Lissack: guitar

Harry Deacon: bass, keys, glockenspiel, background vocals

Louise Bartle: drums, background vocals

TINY DESK TEAM

Producer: Maia Stern

Director/Editor: Kara Frame

Audio Technical Director: Josh Newell

Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter

Videographers: Kara Frame, Maia Stern, Joshua Bryant

Audio Engineer: Josephine Nyounai

Production Assistant: Dora Levite

Photographer: Alanté Serene

Tiny Desk Team: Lars Gotrich, Ashley Pointer

Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed

Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson

VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins

#blocparty #tinydesk #nprmusic

Support for NPR Music comes from Capital One. Proud supporters of NPR Music and the 2025 Tiny Desk Contest. What's in your wallet? Learn more at CapitalOne.com.

Tiny Desk Giveaway. No purchase or donation required for entry. Void where restricted or prohibited by law. 18yrs or older. Deadline September 12, 2025, 11:59PM PT. ARV: $3,800. Links to the entry page and official rules can be found at NPR.org/TinyDeskGiveaway

Sponsors: NPR, Moises