Unfairly viewed as the nearly men of British indie art rock, London-based Bloc Party played an astonishing gig at the 200-capacity Barfly last night. Despite initial plaudits naming their 2005 debut Silent Alarm as album of the year, the four-piece have mystifyingly since been derided by the music press as dour, difficult and not hip enough to trouble their pages with.

Luckily, these slights seem to have only ignited the fire in this band's belly and their slot at the Reading Festival a few weeks ago proved to be their epiphany. Kele Okereke suddenly blossomed into an incredible frontman who got the crowd dancing as if it was their final party on earth, backed by a band of ferocious intensity. Last night, they ticked all those boxes again with belief and aplomb. With postpunk, dance-beat heavy fierceness coupled with soaring melodies and hints, Bloc Party had the songs to appeal.

Vital and acerbic renditions of hits such as Banquet, The Prayer and Helicopter got the crowd in a frenzy while drummer Matt caused involuntary dancing in the crowd due to the heavy beats pounding through the floorboards and flinging the congregation upwards. Kele waited until their mosh-tastic first single She's Hearing Voices to crowd-surf across the audience, hit the back bar, smile his 200-watt smile, pour himself a blackcurrant cordial and be borne, grinning, by astonished gig-goers all the way back to the stage, drink in hand. Suffice to say he wouldn't have done that three years ago, the last time I saw Bloc Party at Barfly.

Last night was a showcase to mark MTV Two's fifth birthday of their Gonzo show, hence the tiny nature of a gig by a band who can sell out Somerset House, but it also proved to be a celebration for an outfit who suddenly seem to have realised their worth.