I hadn’t realised quite how much I’d missed Basement Jaxx until they were right there in front of me.
I was 7 years old in the UK when ‘Remedy’ came out in 1999, and that album got into my system early. Over time, I lost touch a bit. That happens. Music you love can end up filed away with older versions of yourself, still important, just not something you reach for every day. Then a night like this turns up, and suddenly it all clicks back into place.
On Wednesday, 11 March 2026, Basement Jaxx turned Fremantle Prison into a high-impact, gloriously over-the-top spectacle. This tour was their first full live shows in Australia and New Zealand in 15 years, and they did not come back quietly. The whole thing felt huge, playful, theatrical, and completely committed to giving people a proper night out.
Honestly, it was better than I could have expected.
A setlist with ridiculous range
I went in hoping I’d reconnect with a band I loved as a kid. I did not expect to come out wondering why I’d let that connection drift in the first place.
What really got me was the setlist. It was a proper reminder of how absurdly deep the Basement Jaxx catalogue is. Every few minutes, it was another oh, heck, this one too? moment.
They opened hard with ‘Good Luck’, ‘Bingo Bango’ and ‘Jump n’ Shout’, which is already a wildly confident way to start a night. Straight into movement. From there, the run-through of ‘Raindrops’, ‘Do Your Thing’, ‘Natural Thing’, ‘Fly Life’, ‘Red Alert‘, and ‘Express Yourself’ made it clear this was not going to be one of those heritage acts doing the bare minimum and coasting on fond memories.
And the range of it all was half the thrill.
This was a set that moved from ‘Romeo’ to ‘Rendez-Vu’, from ‘Escape’ to ‘Life Saver’, from the cheeky snap of ‘Oh My Gosh’ and ‘Jus 1 Kiss’ to the heavier edge of ‘Cish Cash’ and ‘Techno Pumper’, then threw in ‘Rhapsody’, ‘Zadok the Priest’, and even ‘Berghain’ by ROSALÍA, Björk and Yves Tumor.
That is what made the show so insanely good. It was not just a stack of familiar tracks. It was a reminder that Basement Jaxx can pull from so many moods, textures and influences without ever sounding scattered.
Close Counters got the room exactly where it needed to be
Before the main set, Australia’s own Close Counters opened the night with a groove-heavy, disco-funk-inflected set that worked beautifully.
They did exactly what strong tour support should do. They gave the room a pulse early. No filler, no half-interest from the crowd, just a solid warm-up that got the energy moving in the right direction. By the time Basement Jaxx arrived, Fremantle Prison already felt loose, lively, and ready.
Not a DJ set, a full theatrical blowout
One of the smartest things about the show was how fully it committed to performance.
Yes, Simon Ratcliffe and Felix Buxton were down in the middle of it all, stationed in a sunken black hole section of the stage, holding it all together. But this was never going to be a static DJ setup with a few lights and some screens doing the heavy lifting.
Around them, the production exploded into life.
The show leaned into dancers, costume changes, surreal visuals, bold colour, and constant movement. At times, it felt more like a carnival or live theatre than a standard dance set. The prison walls were washed in colour from the screens and lights, and every few songs, there was some new visual detail to lock onto.
‘Raindrops’ was one of the standouts, with a performer appearing as a huge, flowing flower that unfurled across the stage in a way that felt strange and hypnotic all at once. ‘Red Alert’ hit with full force too, all punch, colour, and movement, with visuals going big enough to match the track’s sheer drive.
It stayed fun. Sharp. A little absurd. Exactly right for Basement Jaxx.
The vocalists and performers were doing serious work
A massive part of why the show landed so well was the strength of the people around Felix and Simon.
Vula Malinga and Phebe Edwards brought serious power to the stage, especially early on with ‘Good Luck’, and helped give the set that huge, communal lift it needed. Basement Jaxx songs have always thrived on personality, movement, and contrast, and the live setup honoured that.
Everything fed into the feeling that this was a complete show, not just a run-through of tracks.
Fremantle Prison keeps proving itself
Fremantle Prison was such a good fit for this.
The limestone walls, the open air, the scale, the weird beauty of the place before a note is even played, it all suits a show this visual and this physical. More importantly, it sounded excellent. Open-air gigs can sometimes lose detail, but here the music felt contained in the best way. The buildings helped hold the sound in place, so the bass had depth, the vocals stayed clear, and the layers in the mix got room to breathe.
That mattered for songs like ‘Red Alert’, ‘Romeo’, ‘Rendez-Vu’ and ‘Where’s Your Head At’, which need impact to really land. Nothing got swallowed up. It all came through cleanly.
The crowd leaned older, and that made it better
The crowd definitely skewed older, and frankly, that ruled.
Nobody was there to stand around pretending they were too cool to enjoy themselves. People danced. People yelled. People sang. People looked genuinely delighted every time another track they had not heard in years came flying back into their body. It had that lovely shared-history feeling without turning sleepy or overly reverent.
Basement Jaxx may put on a highly choreographed, tightly structured show, but it never felt distant. It felt silly, joyful, and very human.
Good.
‘Where’s Your Head At’ was the obvious peak, and they still had more to give
‘Where’s Your Head At’ has the power to rearrange a room the second it starts.
It hit exactly how you wanted it to, with the whole crowd giving in at once and the stage tipping into full monkey-suit chaos as the dancers went wild around it. It was ridiculous. It was brilliant. It was the moment everyone had been waiting for, and it paid off.
But even then, they were not done.
The encore of ‘Take Me Back to Your House’, ‘Mermaid of Salinas’ and ‘Bambina’ kept the room buoyant right through to the end, before an orchestral version of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ sent everyone shuffling out around 9.30 pm, still buzzing.
That is part of what made the night work so well. ‘Where’s Your Head At’ was huge, obviously, but the set had already earned that peak through everything that came before it.
Event Info
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Event | Basement Jaxx |
| Tour Support | Close Counters |
| Venue | Fremantle Prison |
| Location | Fremantle / Walyalup, Perth, Western Australia |
| Date | Wednesday, 11 March 2026 |
Accessibility Snapshot
Accessibility Snapshot: Based on observed venue experience at Basement Jaxx, Fremantle Prison, Wednesday 11 March 2026.
| Category | Feature | Options | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Environment | Open-Air Enclosed Courtyard | Confirmed | The prison walls help contain sound while still allowing open-air breathing room. |
| Audio | Strong Sound Clarity | Confirmed | Sound quality was excellent, with detail carrying well across the space. |
| Sensory | High Sensory Load | Confirmed | Intense lighting, heavy bass, constant movement, visuals, and crowd energy throughout. |
| Crowd Flow | Dense Standing Crowd | Confirmed | High-energy dance crowd; can become physically intense in busier sections. |
| Seating | Seating Availability | Not Confirmed | Best to check venue/event details in advance if seating is needed. |
| Accessibility Viewing | Dedicated Accessible Viewing Area | Confirmed | Check directly with the venue/promoter for current event-specific arrangements. |
| Toilets | Accessible Toilets | Reported | Venue layout may vary depending on the event setup; confirm in advance if required. |
| Sensory Regulation | Lower-Stimulation Space | Not confirmed | This was a full sensory show; quieter retreat areas were not clearly identified from my position. |
| Hearing Support | Earplug-Friendly / Volume Considerations | Confirmed | Recommended for sound-sensitive attendees due to volume and crowd intensity. |
This can vary by event layout, ticket type, and your position in the venue. If you need specific access support, it is always worth checking directly with the venue and promoter before the show.
A genuine must-see
Basement Jaxx at Fremantle Prison was a must-see.
Not because they traded on nostalgia. Because they delivered. The songs held up. The range held up. The production held up. The vocalists and dancers brought everything to life. The venue sounded excellent. The crowd was all in. And the whole thing had that rare feeling of a band knowing exactly what people came for, then giving them even more.
I went in hoping for a fun night. I came out buzzing.
That says enough.
“Basement Jaxx at Fremantle Prison was maximalist, euphoric, joyfully unhinged, and exactly what my ADHD brain wanted.”
TLDR;
- Basement Jaxx at Fremantle Prison on Wednesday, 11 March 2026, was phenomenal.
- This was their first full live show in Australia and New Zealand in 15 years, and they came back huge.
- Australia’s own Close Counters were a smart choice for tour support, setting the tone beautifully.
- The setlist had serious range, running through ‘Good Luck’, ‘Bingo Bango’, ‘Raindrops’, ‘Red Alert’, ‘Romeo’, ‘Rendez-Vu’, ‘Oh My Gosh’, ‘Jus 1 Kiss’, ‘Cish Cash’, ‘Berghain’ and ‘Where’s Your Head At’.
- The live show was full of dancers, visuals, costume changes, and theatrical chaos.
- Phebe Edwards and Vula Malinga were huge parts of what made the performance land.
- Fremantle Prison sounded excellent and looked incredible.
- ‘Where’s Your Head At’ was the obvious peak, with monkey-suit chaos on stage, but the encore kept the buzz going right to the end.
- This was a must-see show and a reminder of how absurdly good Basement Jaxx still are live.
Stay unruly.
