Bingo Bango on the Bay - Jaxx Attack: Scarborough Gets the Full Treatment

★★★★☆ (4/5)

BASEMENT JAXX PERFORMING TK. MAXX PRESENTS… SCARBOROUGH OPEN AIR THEATRE 2025
PHOTOCREDIT: JOHN HAYHURST

TK MAXX and Basement Jaxx, a marriage made in heaven. Under a warm midsummer sky, on the hottest day of the year at Scarborough Open Air Theatre, Basement Jaxx turned an already magical setting into a euphoric, full-body celebration. As waves from the nearby coast echoed softly in the distance, the duo—Felix Buxton and Simon Ratcliffe—emerged not behind turntables, but on a sloping stage and appeared to be in a hole in the centre. However they did have a full live band, dancers in neon and sequins, and enough joyful energy to power the whole Yorkshire Coast.

From the very first punch of Good Luck, the place was alive. The crowd surged with the beat, arms high, voices raised, feet moving instinctively. The heavy basslines rumbled through the amphitheatre, and when Bingo Bango dropped, it felt like every soul present had been transported straight into the heart of a carnival. The horns, the percussion, the cheeky swagger of the dancers—it was impossible not to grin.

Jump ‘n’ Shout kept the momentum going, its fierce vocals and bouncing rhythm sparking a wave of synchronised movement across the crowd. Then came a shift in mood—Raindrops slowed things down just enough to let the night settle around us. This incredibly beautiful dancer wearing what can only be described as a flower costume with iridescent petals floated on to the stage and began to mesmerise the crowd with swooping dance moves that shimmered the costume all over the stage. Felix stood out from the hole at the front, swaying gently, his voice carrying a touch of melancholy that somehow made the track even more powerful. The whole place shimmered with light and low, rolling synths as the tempo softened but the connection deepened.

They kept the groove going with Do Your Thing, a brass-heavy burst of funk that felt both chaotic and perfectly in control. It was one of those songs where strangers danced together without hesitation, caught in the same spell. Then came Red Alert, and the energy shot back through the roof – err.. if it had one. That unmistakable siren-synth combo made the whole crowd erupt, a tidal wave of nostalgia and rhythm all at once.

The set kept spiraling upward—Escape offered a surprising emotional peak, a sweeping track laced with longing, while Romeo glided in on a breeze of tropical warmth, its chorus belted out by thousands. Then, in a brilliant theatrical moment, a distorted Baroque-techno mash-up flooded the stage: the bizarre, glorious Techno Pumperizadok. Dancers in LED crowns moved with surreal precision, somehow making this high-camp moment feel completely earned.

The final stretch was pure party. Oh My Gosh turned the whole place into a singalong playground, with everyone from toddlers to retirees yelling the lyrics with wild abandon. Jus 1 Kiss felt smoother, groovier, just as the sun fully disappeared behind the trees. Then Cish Cash dropped like thunder, pulsing and punchy and totally exhilarating.

And then, of course, came Where’s Your Head At. It was everything you’d hope for—loud, sweaty, unrelenting. People screamed the chorus into the night, dancing like the world might end when the beat stopped. Felix was everywhere, arms outstretched, while Simon delivered a storm of sound behind him.

They left us breathless, blinking under the lights, still half-dancing as we made our way out. For that hour and a half, it wasn’t just a show—it was a shared moment of joy, chaos, and catharsis. Basement Jaxx didn’t just perform. They gave us the dance night of the summer.