Snapped: The Justice banger in Taipei

The above gallery courtesy of Garret Clarke and Steven Vigar of Up Against The Wall Asia

A few months ago rumors ran rampant that Justice was booked for a gig in Taipei but the reaction from old and new fans in the city was something like “yeah right!” But the promoters at U Dance Society, who have been stalwarts of the scene in Taipei since long before the 'Cross' album came out and have had Justice at the top of their list of acts to bring in since then, came through for what is one of the Taiwan's most sought after booking for a decade.

Over the years, throughout the ‘Cross’ era followed be ‘Audio, Video, Disco’ and then finally ‘Woman’ that was released just earlier this year, anything related to the iconic French duo has been shrouded in mystery and intrigue. This held true throughout the show.

It was a Wednesday night in Taipei, a night that is near impossible to sell out on the island regardless of the act, the main room Showbox was almost full and the common feeling throughout the room was that everyone was there for one single purpose and that created a powerful and inimitable vibe. Whether it was to capture that nostalgic feeling of freedom that we all did 2006 by belting out the lyrics to ‘D.A.N.C.E.’ or ‘We Are Your Friends’ or just to catch a glimpse of the legendary DJs who can still smash down a show like it was 2008, either way no one left disappointed. The crowd was there to party, there were no stragglers but only dedicated fans and that resulted in a vibe bar none – crowd surfing and barrier jumpers included.

Unlike their groups signature live shows, the stage in Taipei was minimal to almost barren except for a few columns that supported high intensity white strobes at varying heights. But the show needs nothing more than Justice themselves and when they emerged from the Cross that emblazoned DJ booth with cigarettes in their mouths and smoke circumventing their curls, they let lose a tyranny of classic and modern tracks with such energy and momentum that the crowd never even stopped to breathe.

The obvious crowd pleasers were ‘D.A.N.C.E.’ and ‘We Are Your Friends’. If you’re curious to know what kind of music Justice play in a DJ set these days, set list as follows:

Safe and Sound
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D.A.N.C.E
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Canon / Love
S.O.S
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Genesis
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Phantom /Pleasure / Newjack
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Civilization/ Heavy Metal / DVNO
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Stress
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Love S.O.S
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Alakazam! / Fire / Love S.O.S
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Waters of Nazareth
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Encore:
We Are Your Friends
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Chorus
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Audio, Video, Disco