The band released the album as a download on Thursday (21), making their Main Stage appearance their first gig since it became available.
Marking the occasion, frontman Kele Okereke started the show with a short speech saying it had been a few weeks of "new members, new babies and a newfangled record" - referring to bassist Gordon Moakes, wHO is on extended fatherhood leave and his reliever Daniel Lindegren - earlier adding that "I take in one more thing to say", and broke into the opening line of recent single 'Mercury'.
They later played 'One Month Off' from the new album, before dedicating 'This Modern Love' to their absent bandmate.
"We'd like to dedicate our next song to Gordon our usual bass player," stated Okereke. "I have no doubt he'll be observance online, can buoy we hold a vainglorious high to Gordon and his modern baby Scarlet."
A series of "Gordon" chants followed from the push with the singer noting "he'll honey that".
However, ahead of 'So Here We Are', Okereke had to rein in his consultation, after the big screens picked out a daughter on someone's shoulder and the push chanted for her to take her top off.
"Come on," cautioned the vocalist, "this is still a Bloc Party gig," before explaining the band were feeling good about tonight's show later on "a raspberry shat" on their fill-in bassist, which "must be a dependable luck sign".
"I hope you're having as much play as we are, you can show that we're all friends here," the singer by and by told the crowd as he kicked off 'Flux', working the opening lines of Prince's 'I Would Die 4 U' into his own song.
With green lasers dismissal across the site, the band then seemingly cloaked up the set with a frenzied version of 'Helicopter'.
However, Bloc Party returned for a rare Reading Festival encore.
"Thank you so much, it's a little bit nervy but we thought we have to play the song that started it all off," explained Okereke who song the vocals for 'She's Hearing Voices' from the barriers at the front of the crowd.
Bloc Party played:
'Mercury'
'Hunting For Witches'
'Song For Clay (Disappear Here)'
'Banquet'
'Two More Years'
'One Month Off'
'This Modern Love'
'The Prayer'
'So Here We Are'
'Like Eating Glass'
'I Would Die 4 U'/ 'Flux'
'Helicopter'
'She's Hearing Voices'
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Aug 24, 2008 at Bramham Park, Leeds -
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