Bloc Party Baby Coming

Bloc Party bassist Gordon Moakes won't be with the band when they play their first gigs in eight months because he's taking time off to become a daddy.

Moakes' wife is pregnant with their first child and the baby is due within the first few weeks of Bloc Party's North American tour. Moakes explained in a post on the band's website that he'd rather be at home with his wife for the child's birth and that "it was a bit silly for me to be flying round the world at such a critical time in the pregnancy.

"No one wants me to wind up in the wrong continent should there be any complications or should the little one decide to put in an early appearance. So while the other chaps are jetting around the Pacific Rim I will be buying the groceries, attending ante-natal classes and generally preparing myself for the cloud of unknown that is becoming a dad."

While Moakes is at home with his wife and their baby, Daniel Lindegren (better known as Tommy Sparks) will take over his tour duties. Moakes says he should be back with Bloc Party in time for their Canadian dates in September.

"All being well, I will return to reclaim my mantle around the end of August, possibly bringing with me some profound wisdom as a new father, if not a complete lack of sleep," Moakes wrote.

Bloc Party fans were upset last week after a countdown on the band's website eventually told them to tune in to BBC Radio 1. Those who got over their grumbling and turned their radios on discovered the band were premiering a new single, "Mercury," which will be available in the U.K. on Aug. 11. You can hear the track on Bloc Party's MySpace page. Singer/guitarist Kele Okereke told BBC's Zane Lowe that the band are still working on their upcoming third album and have no idea when it'll hit stores.

"We're still writing and working on it, so it's quite hard to have an overview, really," Okereke said. "We are making the record I always wanted us to make, so we just can't wait for it to be done."

Here are Bloc Party's Canadian dates:

• Sept. 6 Toronto, ON @ Toronto Island Park (Virgin Festival)
• Sept. 9 Edmonton, AB @ Edmonton Events Centre
• Sept. 10 Calgary, AB @ MacEwan Hall
• Sept. 12 Quebec City, QC @ Envol Et Macadam Festival
• Sept. 13 Fredericton, NB @ Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival
• Sept. 14-15 Halifax, NS @ The Marquee Club
• Sept. 17 Montreal, QC @ The Metropolis