Basement Jaxx

South London’s disco kings have produced two certifibly essential summer sizzlers in the long-playing sounds and shapes of Remedy and Rooty, so no better candidates to provide a bit of festive cheer and Latin house warmth in the cold chill of a bleak mid-winter.

The Jaxx live arsenal of infectious house stompers puts most other noodly dance duos to shame. Even the heady adrenaline rush of Orbital, Leftfield and The Chemical Brothers at full steam would be hard pushed to match the dexterity, imagination and most importantly, pure unadulterated fun that this kooky collective provide in succulent spades.

‘Where’s Your Head At?’ is the nutter’s anthem of any year, expertly delivered with a blistering flourish led by Felix Buxton tearing up the stage. Like I said, no other live dance band rocks quite like this. Simon Ratcliffe shows off his own party tricks by strapping on a six-string for ‘Broken Dreams’, the sole low key let down in a relentless set of Grade A floor explosives. The same stunt pays off far better when Ratcliffe dons a flamenco guitar to send the temperatures blazing for ‘Rendez-Vu’.

By now the Ambassador resembles Rio in full swing. Slarta John extorts us to ‘Jump n’ Shout’, while the closing samba meltdown of ‘Bingo Bango’ features the entire Jaxx sixteen-legged groove machine giving it their fantastic all.

Quite simply, the best thing I’ve seen in the Ambassador since The Return Of The Jedi.