Forget the fact Bloc Party have produced arguably their most innovative album to date, ignore Kele Okereke’s brush with a ghost or foolish decision to wear a kilt, this was all about just green lasers!

A classic Bloc Party set on the Oyster Stage was brimming with excitement from the moment they opened with “Mercury” before moving into a flurry of beats, rhythms and familiar territory with “Banquet”, “2 More Years” and “Positive Tension.” New album Intimacy, available to download until October, was given a brief airing with “One Month Off” and fitted well into a seemingly relentless array of singles.

Much of the bemused crowd seems to be thinking the same thing - who really knew Bloc Party sounded this good and had so much fun?
At times Kele gives off the aura of a troubled man with the hopes and expectations of the world pushing down on his soldiers but tonight he’s in fine fettle and happy to lead the crowd on singalongs as well as engaging in plenty of laughs.

Maybe it’s the kilt, but hopefully it’s just a taste of things to come for Bloc Party. Part art-punk, part mainstream indie this set hints at the dance driven, infectious beats of “Flux” and “Mercury” becoming more than just a passing phase. The entire set feels faster, harder and happier leaving the crowd to go wild and the security left flummoxed by what they surely thought was going to be a nice night for stargazers.

As the dancing seems to hit a crescendo they exit the stage to rapturous applause, but returning for a four-song encore a green laser is switched on above the drums and Bloc Party have never looked or sounded so good.

Beautiful, beautiful Bloc Party, maybe there was method in Kele’s kilt-wearing madness after all!