Name: Bloc Party

Where and when: Main stage, 8.15pm, Saturday, Reading,

Dress code: Non-branded casual wear, denim cut-offs and flannel shirts.

Who's watching: A bold mix, but mainly the young.

In a nutshell: Thanks to their 9/10 performance at Reading 2007 Bloc Party have been promoted up a slot, from last year's late afternoon to this year's early evening. The benefit being that performing after sunset gives them the opportunity to use a very impressive, and probably quite expensive light show, which comes alive during a reworking of Prince's I Would Die for You bleeding into their single Flux. Prior to that, latest single Mercury (with support vocals from new bassist Daniel Lindegren) kicks off the band's first performance since the rush release of their third album Intimacy. The new track One Month Off also features, but it's the oldies that guarantee the biggest roar - Banquet, The Prayer and Helicopter. The band have never hidden their love for Reading, where singer Kele Okereke and guitarist Russell Lissack first met many years ago, and play with the glow of a band who are performing at their spiritual home.

High point: Helicopter, the penultimate track before She's Hearing Voices, elicits the best response.

Low point: Inconsistent sound levels that may or may not be the fault of high winds, which bring Okereke's vocals to the fore at the expense of the nearly inaudible drums.

How hard did they rock? For a band whose latest album is called Intimacy, their sound and performance is pretty stern stuff.