Justice: D.A.N.C.E. inducing Pic: © http://flickr.com/photos/94038853@N00/1137561143
With Parisian electro-house duo in town for a Sunday sermon, Justice had Glasgow's O2 Academy at capacity long before they took to their alter of noise. With the worshipers mostly well inebriated and ready for prayer, Auge and De Rosnay's stage set up had their cross emblem in the centre glowing in anticipation as the lights dimmed.
Before the roar of both upstanding tiers could fade, the bold intro of Genesis swelled before breaking into the stomping pulse, sending the venue into a wave of frenzy, and this was only just the beginning. With strong vein of rock and dance-punk running through their sound, the duo could play with a live band, more akin to Soulwax, though they remain a tight two-piece behind an arsenal of electronics. Well hidden behind the casing which surrounds their booth, it's not entirely clear what the pair are up to with a great deal of head bobbing and moving around, but the thousands of filth hungry fans don't care, as long is the distorted bass continues to gyrate through their dampening chests.
Diving immediately into last year's second album, the funky Helix was released, sending a surge of ridiculous dance moves from front of house to back. It was at this point I realised how incredibly unlucky I was to be stood next to the tallest man in the venue, and most certainly the worst dancer too. With all four limbs windmilling in different directions, and his head spinning on the axis of his neck, the bright lights of Justice were impressive, but their entertainment value was nothing on this man.
Watching the remainder of the show from a good three steps back from my starting position, the band played extended versions of their best known tracks, with more drop downs and bigger builds, to taunt and tease the crowd, who hung on to every hi-hat hustle. Tracks with vocals such as Civilisation had a scream-a-long reaction, inflicting even more sweat on the heavily saturated crowd.
Keeping it stereotypically French, Xavier de Rosnay grabbed his first on-stage cigarette for the night, the venue turning a blind eye to smoking restrictions for the electro-giant. Whilst he kept his cool, their 2007 breakthrough hit D.A.N.C.E. had quite the opposite effect on the crowd, the rework establishing a trawling arpeggiator to infiltrate ears and feet. During this track the front of their chapel/ booth slid apart to reveal a white piano, which Gaspard Auge played during a drop-down section as the notorious vocal sample looped.
With people on shoulders and that old Glaswegian favourite of "taps aff" widespread, the track morphed into half tempo grime, before a brief flirt with drum n bass ripped back into full-speed mayhem, the wall of lightbulbs which formed the backdrop illuminating in full. Hushing the crowd after a Viking-like roar, clothes were soon thrown onstage as Justice surged into the next roaring bass line.
Attacking chart favourite Waters Of Nazareth featured only briefly, though perhaps it was for the best for the wild response it evoked. The same rules weren't followed for Simian's We Are Your Friends, which recurred on several occasions throughout the closing tracks of their set.
Ending in bright pink and blue neon, and Soulwax's much fiercer remix of Phantom Pt II, Justice really showed Glasgow Audio, Visual, Disco and complete unadulterated filth tonight. Keeping that electro crown firmly French, Daft Punk aren't the only ones who can rock.
