Gigs by big bands in small venues - often known as "secret shows" - are no longer an oddity, but rather an increasingly common marketing tool.

Often attended by competition winners, they exist largely through sponsorship and the needs of broadcasters. Whether this is a good thing is debatable, but what's for certain is that it did nothing to dampen the excitement of the crowd as Razorlight threatened to blow the roof off Camden's tiny Barfly.

Part of MTV's Gonzo Tour which sees talented up-and-comers share a stage with established acts at small venues all over the country, the show was hosted by MTV presenter and Radio One DJ Zane Lowe.

After strong punk rock support from Good Shoes, Lowe brought a tortuous 40-minute soundcheck to an end, and pacified a crowd who were becoming hotter, sweatier and angrier by the second to introduce Johnny Borrell's Anglo-Swedish four piece.

"This is going to be something special," Lowe claimed, with genuine excitement, and he could not have been more right.

As the stomp-worthy opening chords of In The Morning started up, Johnny Borrell's arrival on stage coincided with a frenzy of screaming and the creation of a genuine, ankle-spraininducing mosh pit.

The sound was perfect, relaying without interference the utterly slick performances of the band, with Andy Burrows' powerful, passionate drumming deserving a special mention.

Borrell's mastery of the demanding vocals and varied tempos of tracks like Golden Touch was effortless without being complacent. The intensity of his performance, during which his piercing blue eyes seemed to remain fixed on a point in the distance, marked him out as someone accustomed to playing far larger venues.

This was no bad thing, although it seemed a little odd that despite being within touching distance of his fans, he played to them as though they were miles away, offering no smiles, no handshakes and precious little banter.

Perhaps he felt that to engage directly on a human level would spoil the magic. Whatever his reasons, no one was complaining as anthem after anthem was belted out with total dedication.

It wasn't only their older work that pleased the crowd. Recent number one single America was a timely reminder that the group's ability to create epic songs of great emotional intensity has gone from strength to strength.

The variety of the group's sound was exemplified well by the brilliantly rendered Clash-like reggae-tinged rock of Back To The Start. Often accused of being derivative, Razorlight did at times sound a little familiar, but there could be no arguing with their quality.

Whether it's dodgy sound, not being able to see, or being stuck next to some noisy fool with no interest in the show, a rock gig is almost always an imperfect experience.

This one, on the other hand was almost eerily perfect. At times I felt as though I had walked on to the set of a pop video.

But the show was real, as was the palpable thrill of a crowd who'd got closer to their heroes than they'd ever dared dream possible. And regardless of what corporate entity may have brought this show about, that has to be a good thing.