Review: Greg Phillips. Photos: Jason Rosewarne.
Before Madonna, before Beyonce and before Whitney and Mariah, there was Grace Jones, cover girl, model, disco queen and fashion icon. She emerged in the the late 70s in a world of glamour based between the epicentres of New York and Paris where Interview and Esquire magazines ruled, Studio 54 and Le Palace were the places to be and Andy Warhol and Jean-Paul Goude were the people to hang with. Her songs became the soundtracks to the lives of the gay community and fashionistas worldwide. Grace Jones has always been the epitome of style.
In contrast, it seemed almost disrespectful that in 2026 Jones was asked to perform in a car park next to an empty Palais Theatre under clouds that wouldn’t cease to emit rain. Due to take to the stage at 8pm, Grace was delayed for close to 40 minutes while staff mopped the stage and I assume lawyers and insurance nerds discussed the pros and cons of proceeding. The sartorially elegant support act, New York DJ duo The Illustrious Blacks didn’t seem to mind the adverse weather conditions, as they enjoyed delivering their unique brand of Technegrocolor and AfroFuturism grooves.
When Grace Jones finally did appear, seated regally on a throne at the back of the stage, it became quickly evident she was in a cheeky, irreverent and fun-loving mood. As Malcolm Joseph’s booming bass notes rocked the foundations of the stage, Ms Jones, dressed in slick suit and fanned headdress, sung the immortal lines of the Iggy Pop/David Bowie penned classic Nightclubbing, followed by a funky version of This Is from her 2008 album Hurricane.
Jones joked that the first thing she read about her Australian tour to date was that her shows were chaotic. “I love chaos,” she told us with pride as she and her amazing band launched into the iconic “Private Life’, the Chrissie Hynde song which she made her own in 1980. Featuring a searing guitar solo from Louis Eliot, the band raised the dynamics of the show up a notch.
Chatting with the crowd again she told us that she’d done too much shit in life and requested a lyric sheet to remember the lines of the next song. “Chaos! Where the fuck are my lyrics?” Ironically the next song was Warm Leatherette, a tune which features very few lyrics apart from the repeated chorus, which the audience sung back with enthusiasm.
Requesting some “muscle men” to help the 77 year old back up to the throne at the top of the stage, Grace was instead offered the lithe Monstah Black and Manchildblack from The Illustrious Blacks. “Seriously?” she exclaimed, as the pair eventually did cradle the disco queen back up to her seat quite successfully, from which she performed a risqué version of My Jamaican Guy. Finding herself upside down with legs akimbo and nipples protruding, Monstah and Manchild returned to assist her down.
Donning a bright red cape, which she then attached to her hair, Grace eased into one of her signature tunes I’ve Seen That Face Before (Libertango), powered by percussionist Paolo Goude (son of Grace Jones and Jean Paul Goude) and nostalgically taking us all back to another time.
Telling us she was taking us all to church, her costume assistant helped Jones pull up an impressive hoop skirt as she next performed a fabulous rendition of Williams’ Blood. Then proving she has lost none her vocal prowess, Jones belted out an emotional Amazing Grace, accompanied just by piano and keyboard strings. Turning to the band to give each member a hug, she told us she was feeling “very huggy” before announcing it was party time, changing into a mirror ball hat and jacket and igniting the crowd with a rockin’ Love Is The Drug. The rain continued to fall but nobody seemed to notice nor care as they were intent on delivering the ardent call and response Jones was requesting.
Due to the late start, Grace teased that the authorities wanted to pull the plug in a curfew. “Who’s in charge of the plug?” she joked as the band band proceeded to inflict a funky Pull Up to the Bumper upon us. With the help of a burly security guy’s shoulders, Grace was then paraded into the crowd to touch hands and tip the vibe into a total party zone.
With the stage lights suddenly dimmed, a degree of disappointment permeated the crowd, as it seemed that the party might have been over prematurely. However with the dramatic Em7 to Dma7 keyboard chord intro of Slave To The Rhythm rising out and the stage lights switched back on, the excitement level reached fever pitch as the style icon re-emerged, swinging a hula-hoop, and singing those career defining lyrics. The vibe was infectious, with the audience dancing non-stop and Grace hula-hooping for the duration of the song. In fact, Jones ‘never stopped the action all night’ and despite what many may have thought, at 77, she’s still got it.
Setlist
Nightclubbing
This Is
Private Life
Warm Leatherette
My Jamaican Guy
I’ve Seen That Face Before (Libertango)
Williams’ Blood
Amazing Grace
Love Is the Drug
Pull Up to the Bumper
Slave to the Rhythm
