After witnessing French electronic wizards Justice last Sunday, the glow still hasn't receded several days later. Their performance was a masterclass in bass-rattling French house, refined nu disco, ballistic funk and barnstorming electronica.
Although booked into Brisbane Entertainment Centre on a Sunday night (sandwiched between a host of events including Good Things, Wave To Earth, The Fray, and with the likes of Kendrick Lamar and Lady Gaga also circling above), I was still expecting a massive turnout for these legends of the game.
Sadly, Brisbane reminded me why we so often get left off major international tours (with apologies to Adelaide and Perth crews) with a miserly turnout (7 December) that left the second deck of the Entertainment Centre covered in black sheets, and more security guards waiting to check bags than people queuing. Doh!
Alas, it didn't dent my enthusiasm as I felt like one of Brisbane's cool kids, in on the secret that one of the world's greatest electronic acts were in town performing on a school night no less.
After catching the tail-end of Kevin Parker's DJ set, the Tame Impala singer and multi-instrumentalist dishing up a respectable, hard-hitting electro-house flavoured sonic journey sprinkled with classic Tame Impala banger 'Let It Happen' as well as new track 'Dracula' (from the recently released 'Deadbeat' album), there was a last-minute rush for drinks and rest breaks.
Image © Kalem Horn
Before too long the pairing of Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay appeared exuding French coolness, the duo adorned in exquisite clobber (that's Aussie for fashion, bourgeoisie!) and delectable shades as they stood atop their music-making stations with an array of equipment at their disposal: analog synthesisers, vocoders, touchpads, laptops, MIDI controllers and digital mixers.
They remained locked into this position for the majority of the performance, manipulating buttons, twisting knobs, compressing sounds into thunderous yet angelic waves of energy that was impossible not to be physically activated by.
Despite the level of noise they were extracting, Gaspard and Xavier remained the picture-perfect image of French coolness; minimal movement, lack of engagement with their audience or surrounds – the complete study of concentration as they unleashed a sonic barrage on the Brisbane Entertainment Centre.
The real magic of Justice live is their ability to reimagine their own catalogue, chopping, swapping, reworking myriad elements from different songs to create bespoke compositions that live and breathe in the moment, yet sound like studio-crafted tracks.
Image © Kalem Horn
When the foreboding intro of 'Genesis' dropped into that electroclash maelstrom of noise, the bass sucking the air out of the arena like a wildfire, I was instantly to my feet (somewhat unexpectedly I might add), the power of the music drawing me in like an enthusiastic tractor beam as Justice began merging into fellow 'Justice' tracks 'Phantom' and 'Phantom Pt. II'.
To be fair, the next 90-odd minutes is a blur of strobing lights, stomach-rumbling bass, and the kind of infectious joy only electronic music can afflict (positively) on the soul. Justice had transported me back to my mid-2000s dance-floor hey day and damn anyone watching with judgemental stares. Dance like no one's watching is the best f-ing mantra, excuse my French!
To highlight their cross-pollination skills, the second instalment of the set (thank you setlist.fm) presented the jumbled fusing of 'Mannequin Love' ('Hyperdrama'), 'Alakazam!' ('Woman'), 'We Are Your Friends' (the one that started it all with Simian) and 'TTHHEE PPAARRTTYY' ('Justice').
It was at this juncture I knew I wouldn't be taking notes for this review (something I haven't done for a number of years); rather I put my phone away and embraced the moment, allowing my truanting feet the space they needed in the Entertainment Centre's cramped seating rows to get my steps count above 10k for the day. Winning, Charlie!
Image © Kalem Horn
The sonic world of Justice and how interconnected all of their music really is was on full display when they stitched newer track 'One Night/All Night' (from 2024 album 'Hyperdrama') to 'D.A.N.C.E.' (from their 2007 self-titled); the pairing sounded like they'd been birthed at the same time.
'Safe And Sound' from 2016's 'Woman' was one of the few tracks that didn't get the live Justice mixing, standing alone, the nu disco, funky tones a respite from the electro-heaviness of the first segment.
Although it was the perfect song to merge into 'Hyperdrama' banger and Tame Impala collab 'Neverender', the two congealing like long-lost twins. 'Hyperdrama' was well represented throughout the nights performance, with 'Incognito' and 'Afterimage' also aired.
I won't lie, the self-titled 2007 album remains my favourite Justice album so when they played 'Stress' and 'Waters Of Nazareth' as one, my raving levelled up several notches, the air-conditioned comfort of the arena keeping my sweat from flinging several rows around me!
They completed the main set with the title track from 2011's 'Audio, Video, Disco', before an encore that saw the ultimate Justice mash-up with portions of 'Planisphere', 'Phantom', 'Heavy Metal', 'Civilization', 'Mannequin Love', 'Helix', 'Fire', 'Phantom Pt. II', 'We Are Your Friends' and 'Pleasure' mangled together like a carnival freak dishing out sonic goodness.
Image © Kalem Horn
The set finally came to a close with Kevin Parker returning to the stage to perform their collaborative single, and Grammy Award-winning 'Neverender' the merging of Tame Impala tones and Justice's trademarked coolness the perfect marriage to send the jubilant crowd home humming while also vibrating. Frequencies kids, and no tin-foil required!
Now into their third decade of existence, it seems Justice are lifers to this music world and there were a number of moments on Sunday, when I wasn't raging like a water-bottle-hugging raver, when it occurred to me that Justice could be the act to take the reigns from The Chemical Brothers (who to be clear aren't retiring anytime soon, as far as I'm aware) as the electronic act who'll continue releasing quality, genre-defying music and producing epic stage shows for multiple decades to come.
Brisbane, next time Justice come to town do better. Simples, really.
