Thursday 14/02/08 Justice @ The Astoria, London

Sandwiched between sixteen amps, two Parisians lurk behind a glowing cross as they prepare to launch their digital righteousness upon the Astoria’s crowd from the depths of their decks, or rather their laptops. Within minutes, the venue (which is swollen to capacity tonight) is throbbing as Justice reward their devotees with hits from last year’s acclaimed debut, ‘Cross’.

The duo have a resolved rigidity to their deadpan stance as they dish out fluid amalgams of 'DVNO', 'One Minute To Midnight', and an instructive 'D.A.N.C.E', that is until the menacing jars of Stress are heaved into the mix with the jagged repercussions of a brick through a window. But, the rowdiest reaction of the night arrives during their trademark collaboration, with a noticeably absent Simian Mobile Disco, for ‘We Are Your Friends’, which is bounced among splices of the Klaxon’s 'Atlantis to Interzone' when it is revisited later.

There may be ample arm waving, imitate neon-cross wielding and hips-a-shaking all over the room, but there’s still barely a twitch visible on Garpard Augé’s tache, nor on his fresh faced comrade, Xavier de Rosnay. This adds to the surreal sense that shrouds both band and crowd tonight and despite how wild the responses get; there appears to be a control and limit to it all.

Two encores later, the amps are cranked up and the upbeat melodies are swapped for a bowel-curdling bass as Justice perform a heavily disguised synth and beat-ridden 'Master Of Puppets', by Metallica. Finally the fans are acknowledged as the early curfew comes into effect and the pair leave their electric props and toys behind to take an albeit nonchalant bow at the front of the stage before disappearing into the night.