written by Robin Murray at Clash Music
Sadly, the word ‘kettling’ doesn’t apply to the art of tea making.

Anyone who has been on a large scale demonstration will know exactly what it means: a tactic used by police to impinge the movement of protesters, it’s controversy hinges on the essential restriction of civil liberty. Inspiring a particularly visceral song from Bloc Party, ‘Kettling’ is one of the stand out tracks on new album ‘FOUR’.

Given visual accompaniment, director James Lees decided to set up at a primary school in Charlton, South East London. Asking child actors to play a game of British Bulldog, the confrontational, physical nature of the activity soon spirals out of control and engulfs any sign of authority.

Visually, it matches the direct nature of Bloc Party’s songwriting.

Kele Okereke: “There was so much going on in the world in 2011… you couldn’t turn on the television without seeing pictures of people protesting or rioting or mass disarray. Of course those are quite frightening images. But there’s also something quite poetic about people standing up and saying they’ve had enough of something; that no, they will not take this any more. That’s what the song was really about.”