August 19, 2006 17:34

Bloc Party play their biggest UK show at V Festival

Both they and The Magic Numbers play new songs

Photo Gallery: Bloc Party

Bloc Party and The Magic Numbers both premiered tracks from their forthcoming second albums at a muddy first day of the 2006 V Festival in Chelmsford today (August 19).

Both bands performed on the Main Stage at Hylands Park, as well as attracting huge crowds to the NME signing tent before their sets.

The Magic Numbers played ‘This Is A Song’ and ‘Take A Chance’ from their new LP, which they have just finished recording. Speaking to NME.COM, frontman Romeo Stoddart said it will be out in November.

The four-piece also played highlights from their 2005 self-titled debut album, including the hits ‘Forever Lost’ and ‘Love Me Like You’.

Bloc Party, making their V Festival debut, followed, playing a set taken mainly from their own 2005 debut ‘Silent Alarm’. Their new record isn’t out till February next year, but they previewed a song from it – ‘Waiting For The 7.15’.

Frontman Kele Okereke said before ‘Two More Years’: "This is the biggest crowd we’ve played in front of in the UK." He later jumped down to the pit during ‘So Here We Are’.

Other highlights so far have included rapturously-received set from The Young Knives on the Virgin Mobile Stage, where a packed crowd watched them play songs including ‘Here Comes The Rumour Mill’ and ‘She’s Attracted To’.

Still to come today there will be sets from Girls Aloud, Kasabian, Beck (complete with puppet show) and headliners Radiohead.

In the meantime for more V Festival coverage including live blogs from both sites go to NME.COM/festivals.

Also, make sure you check out next week’s issue of NME, on newsstands nationwide from August 24, for the best coverage from this year's V Festival.