CHECK OUT THE PHOTOS FROM THE DAZZLING SHOW HERE.

Basement Jaxx is one of the bands who have made far more songs that you know (and love) than you ever realise. Back on these shores to headline Future Music Festival, their Sydney sideshow provided fans with a rare treat – the chance to see the full force of the Jaxx live show in the intimate environs of Newtown’s Enmore Theatre.

Firstly, though, Potbelleez have the task of warming up the crowd, and the Irish/Australian house act do a reasonable job. They plough through material from their debut record, and enjoy a big response to their radio hit, Don’t Hold Back, which concludes their set. But nobody is here to see Potbelleez.

The last time I’d seen Basement Jaxx was at the biggest show they’d ever played – headlining Glastonbury in 2005 as a last minute replacement to the recently diagnosed Kylie Minogue. They were spectacular then, but I was quite prepared for a much more restrained performance at The Enmore tonight. How wrong I was.

Simon Ratcliffe and Felix Buxton (who nominally are Basement Jaxx) are joined onstage by six vocalists, two big drum sets, a huge bank of computers, a handful of musicians, more costumes than Oasis have ever worn in their entire life and far more tunes than they know what to do with.

All this means the gig takes place at a breathless pace. Opening with Good Luck, the eclectic dance collective have raced through big dancefloor hits like Oh My Gosh, Jus’ One Kiss and Red Alert before the crowd have quite worked out what’s hit them. The effect is dazzling – the only downside being that many of the songs feel truncated. Just as you’re getting into them, the band has moved on to the next one.

Only twice does the band drop down a gear: firstly for a delightful solo acoustic version of Romeo, the raw take drawing out the strength of the song. The second slow-down appears to be the result of some kind of technical difficulty, as roadies run about round the back of the stage fiddling with bits of equipment. It’s skilfully covered by backing music and a bit of lyrical freestyling, and it’s not long until the band is back up to full speed, diving into tracks from their most recent record.

Basement Jaxx save the best for last, of course. Having closed the main set with a thunderous bash through Where’s Your Head At?, they return to the stage to encore with Do Your Thing and Bingo Bango – each featuring the featuring the full cast of singers and musicians giving everything they’ve got. It’s a thrilling climax to a wonderful show that leaves the departing crowd in no doubt that Basement Jaxx is the best live dance act in the world.