Basement Jaxx delivered a full-scale live production in Melbourne on 7 March 2026, revisiting three decades of dancefloor anthems while introducing new material from their upcoming album.
by Paul Cashmere
When Basement Jaxx finally returned to Australia with their full live show, Melbourne received a reminder of just how expansive the duo’s catalogue has become since they first emerged from the South London club scene in the mid-1990s.
The 7 March 2026 Melbourne performance unfolded as a multi-layered celebration of the group’s career. The setlist stretched from their earliest releases in 1996 through to the latest single Bambina, released in 2025, and previewed new music expected to feature on their forthcoming album.
Formed in 1994 by Felix Buxton and Simon Ratcliffe in Brixton, Basement Jaxx built their reputation through a combination of house music, funk, disco, Latin rhythms and pop songwriting. Their breakthrough arrived with the 1999 album Remedy, which introduced songs such as Red Alert, Rendez-Vu and Bingo Bango, tracks that quickly became staples of clubs and festivals around the world.
The Melbourne show captured every phase of that journey.
Before the headliners appeared, Naarm electronic duo Close Counters warmed the crowd with a tightly constructed live set that highlighted their admiration for Basement Jaxx. Finn Rees and Allan McConnell operated behind an array of keyboards, samplers and DJ equipment while a live drummer drove the rhythms forward. Guest vocalist Annalisa Fernandez joined the duo onstage, adding expressive vocals and energetic choreography that pushed the set firmly into party territory.
Their performance blended syncopated beats and soulful melodies, including a reinterpretation of Marvin Gaye’s I Want You. By the time their closing number I’ll Be There For You landed, the room had shifted from anticipation into full dancefloor mode.
When the lights dimmed for Basement Jaxx, the stage revealed an elaborate setup, including percussion rigs, a full drum kit and a central ramp featuring a circular opening.
A giant primate face glared from the rear screen while the band prepared for lift-off. Buxton emerged first, rising slowly from the centre platform as the orchestral opening of Good Luck swept through the venue. Guitarists, brass players and percussionists soon joined him while powerhouse vocalists appeared in silver gowns, delivering the song’s soaring chorus.
From that moment the pace barely paused.
A trumpet line signalled the arrival of Bingo Bango, immediately followed by Jump n’ Shout, where dancers and singers crisscrossed the stage in a blur of choreography. Ratcliffe moved between guitar duties and the central console alongside Buxton, keeping the musical backbone intact as the spectacle unfolded.
The evening’s visual design played an equally significant role. During Raindrops, swirling floral graphics filled the screen while a performer manipulated a giant shimmering lily costume across the stage. Songs such as Do Your Thing, Red Alert, Romeo and Rendez-Vu demonstrated the duo’s ability to fuse dance music with theatrical presentation.
Each era of Basement Jaxx history surfaced across the night. Early material like Fly Life from the 1996 EP EP 3 represented the duo’s underground club beginnings. The breakthrough period of Remedy dominated the mid-set run, while Rooty from 2001 contributed major crowd favourites including Romeo and the closing anthem Where’s Your Head At.
Later albums were also well represented. Tracks from 2003’s Kish Kash, including Good Luck and Cish Cash, reflected the period when the group pushed deeper into pop and global influences. The 2014 album Junto appeared with Never Say Never and Mermaid of Salinas, while Take Me Back to Your House from 2006’s Crazy Itch Radio arrived during the encore with its distinctive banjo-driven hook.
One of the most surprising moments came with a reinterpretation of Rosalía’s Berghain, performed with a live vocalist and a ballet dancer spinning across the stage. It illustrated how the duo continue to absorb contemporary influences while maintaining their house foundations.
The humour that has long defined Basement Jaxx surfaced again during Oh My Gosh and Jus 1 Kiss, with performers interacting playfully while surreal screen graphics filled the venue. When the opening riff of Where’s Your Head At appeared, performers dressed in gorilla suits stormed the stage, echoing the track’s famous music video imagery and sending the crowd into a final surge of movement.
The encore brought the entire cast together. Take Me Back To Your House restored the communal singalong atmosphere before Mermaid of Salinas carried the rhythm forward.
The final moment arrived with Bambina, sung in Spanish and featuring Colombian singer Martina Camargo. The song points toward the next chapter for Basement Jaxx, suggesting the duo still have new directions to explore more than three decades after their formation.
Across nearly two hours the Melbourne performance confirmed the longevity of the project. From the underground house experiments of the mid-1990s to the globally recognised anthems of the 2000s and new material for the 2020s, Basement Jaxx demonstrated a catalogue that remains deeply connected to the dancefloor.
Basement Jaxx, Sidney Myer Music Bowl, 7 March 2026
Good Luck (from Kish Kash, 2003)
Bingo Bango (from Remedy, 1999)
Jump n’ Shout (from Remedy, 1999)
Raindrops (from Scars, 2009)
Do Your Thing (from Rooty, 2001)
Natural Thing (unreleased)
Fly Life (from EP 3, 1996)
Red Alert (from Remedy, 1999)
Express Yourself (single, 2022)
Rhapsody Intro (unreleased)
Escape (unreleased)
Romeo (from Rooty, 2001)
Techno Pumper / Zadok the Priest
Rendez-Vu (from Remedy, 1999)
Life Saver (unreleased)
Never Say Never (from Junto, 2014)
Oh My Gosh (from The Singles, 2005)
Jus 1 Kiss (from Rooty, 2001)
Cish Cash (from Kish Kash, 2003)
Berghain (Rosalia, Björk & Yves Tumor cover)
Where’s Your Head At (from Rooty, 2001)
Encore:
Take Me Back to Your House (from Crazy Itch Radio, 2006)
Mermaid of Salinas (from Junto, 2014)
Bambina (single, 2025)
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