1 March 2026 – Riverstage, Brisbane – words and pictures by Bec Harbour
When you think about dance music from the early 2000’s, Basement Jaxx would be right up there at the top of the list. I was just graduating from hospitality work to an office job when their first albums were pumping through the sound system after close — that soundtrack is forever burned into my brain.
It was overcast with a lingering few spots of rain when I arrived at Riverstage. Punters were everywhere, dressed in various iterations of sequins, dayglow and general shininess — were the early 2000’s really that shiny? The air was humid and everyone was trying to stay cool, chasing the stray breezes drifting up from the river.
There was a palpable sense of anticipation. Basement Jaxx have not graced our shores in 15 years, and every time a stagehand wandered out, a ripple of noise rolled through the crowd — a release of pure pent-up excitement.
And then, finally, lift off. Basement Jaxx were here.
Basement Jaxx – Riverstage – Photos by Bec Harbour
The opening notes of ‘Good Luck’ boomed out and the crowd genuinely lost it — the Brisbane gig choir in full effect, roaring the lyrics back to the band. Without pause, we were straight into ‘Bingo Bango’ and ‘Jump N Shout’, the entire amphitheatre dancing and singing along.
At first glance, the stage setup looked deceptively simple. But once Basement Jaxx occupied it, every inch came alive — lights flashing, performers swirling, people doubling as props. At the centre, a hole in the stage housed Felix Buxton and Simon Ratcliffe at their decks and programming equipment, orchestrating the chaos.
Basement Jaxx – Riverstage – Photos by Bec Harbour
The set rolled on through ‘Raindrops’, the eternally joyful ‘Do Your Thing’ and ‘Natural Thing’. The touring band, dressed in gossamer silver costumes, whirled across the stage, joined by a dancer dressed as a lily flower — the visual effect was mesmerising. ‘Fly Life’, ‘Red Alert’ and ‘Express Yourself’ followed, the crowd moving as one happy organism in time with the music.
After a brief interlude, we were launched straight back in with ‘Escape’, ‘Romeo’ and ‘Rendez-vu’, followed in quick succession by ‘Life Saver’, ‘Never Say Never’ and ‘Oh My Gosh’. The night felt like it was racing ahead, threatening to end far too soon. By this stage I had drifted to the rear of the venue, and even up near the merch tent and food stalls people were dancing, singing and grabbing strangers in shared nostalgia whenever a familiar song sparked a memory. The vibes were definitely on.
Basement Jaxx – Riverstage – Photos by Bec Harbour
As we hit the tail-end of the set, sweaty punters began emerging from the pit, making their way uphill for water, grinning from ear to ear. But the unmistakable sound of ‘Jus 1 Kiss’ sent them racing straight back down to rejoin the dance party. We moved through ‘Cish Cash’ and a cover of ‘Berghain’ — a song by Bjork, Yves Tumor and Rosalia. We had got this far and no…???
Then it came.
‘WHERE’S YOUR HEAD AT??’ rang out across the Riverstage amphitheatre and the crowd roared it back in unison. It was the most talked-about song in the crowd pre-show, the one everyone was desperate to experience live. I’ll admit I was slightly disappointed there was no monkey action on the stage backdrop, but hearing thousands scream the lyrics at full volume more than made up for it.
Basement Jaxx – Riverstage – Photos by Bec Harbour
In true tease fashion, the band played adult peek-aboo and disappeared for all of thirty seconds before returning for a three-song encore: ‘Take Me Back To Your House’, ‘Mermaid of Salinas’ and ‘Bambina’.
The crowd left Riverstage hot, sweaty and completely spent — but glowing. They had danced, they had sung, and the vibes were nothing short of pure joy.
