Justice / Late of the Pier

Best known for their mix of Simians' 'Never be Alone' these two French DJs have taken the dance scene by storm. Following the footsteps of other great French duos (Daft Punk, 2 many DJs, Air) was always going to be a difficult job but their debut album † (Cross) paved the way for the other artists on the Ed Banger label.

Dark skies loom overhead the atmosphere at Somerset House looks to be a washout. The courtyard is full of umbrellas carried by miserable looking people hoping for the rain to stop. The air of anticipation is hard to miss as the crowd hopes they haven't wasted their Friday night stood outside.

As Late of the Pier take to the stage, the brollies gather round the stage like a sea of plastic. Between songs they joke with the crowd to start an umbrella dance in time to the song. As the set nears the end the rain starts to stop. 'Focker' gets everyone in the mood for a dance, quickly followed by 'The Bears Are Coming'. The tribal beat gels with the ambience perfectly and creates a stunning effect as the light fades in the cobbled courtyard. With only one song remaining the band are looking far more excited than when they came on stage. The buzzing bass of 'Bathroom Gurgle' overlaid with fantastic pop synths is a great finish to what could have been disastrous set.

The wait in-between sets, is just enough time to get a drink and keep an eye on the clouds above. The iconic stacks of Marshall Amps are brought on stage and the mixing desk is put in place. A quiet descends as the Cross flickers on and off. A rumble of bass later, Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay take the stage. The orchestral opening of 'Genesis' shakes off the remaining water from my hair and the fun begins. 'Phantom Pt. 1' and 'Pt. 2' follow and any thoughts of regretting coming have disappeared. Possibly giving a nod to the British, they follow with a couple of their remixes, one of Franz Ferdinand and the other Fatboy Slim. The edginess continues as the play a very glitchy 'The Party'. By now everyone is hyped and jumping.

All that is needed now, is a singalong – que 'D.A.N.C.E'. Turning it down and starting with a vocal mix accompanied by a single piano line, they time it perfectly. Slowly building up the beat introducing synths it breaks brilliantly. The only song that can beat it for a great chorus is 'We are your Friends'. Gaspard plays to the crowd, stands at the front of the stage and makes sure everyone is singing. For almost a minute the music stops while the crowd keep singing "...because we, are, your friends. You'll never be alone again..." It is no surprise they became an overnight success on the strength of this mix.

At the end of their set they start a mini-mix of all their songs. A slightly overused sample of 'Atlantis to Interzone' layers over the top of song samples effortlessly mixed into each other. With enough time to get your breath back at the end of the set they begin the encore. The almost painful Justice mix of NY Excuse grates against your ears followed by their mix of 'Master of Puppets' they show some of their influences. Barely noticing the rain has started again, they finish with the Soulwax's mix of 'Phantom Pt.2'. The long breakdown is executed brilliantly as different people in the crowd start jumping early wanting more. After a great finish, you take away the knowledge that the answer to NY Excuse's chorus "...This is the excuse that we're making. Is it good enough for what you're paying..." is a definite yes.

Setlist:

Genasis
Phantom pt1 + 2
Franz Ferdinand - The Fallen (Justice Remix)
Fatboy Slim - Don't Let The Man Get You Down (Justice Remix)
The Party
D.A.N.C.E
DVNO (mix)
Justice vs. Simian - We are your Friends
Stress + Stress (auto mix)
Let There be Light
Waters of Nazereth
minimix of bits

encore
Soulwax - NY Excuse (Justice mix)
Metallica - Master of Puppets (Justice mix)
Phantom pt 2 (Soulwax mix)

FUTURE GIGS

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