“This is my voice. My weapon of choice (!)” Grace Jones’ iconic statement that doesn’t seek to weaponize antagonistically appropriately opened her concert at the Palace Foreshore stage at the Lower Esplanade, St Kilda, Monday night; a return to Melbourne (“Grace Jones does not simply return. She arrives”[1]) where her voice, her larger-than-life energy, her aura and charisma became symbolic weapons and tools by which she connected immediately and effortlessly with her audience.
Given the circumstances at the time and generally befitting for a bewitching Absolute Queen like this, at first sight and thought one may be forgiven for considering the adjacent undercover Palais Theatre the better venue but perhaps it was Jones’ own decision to opt for the more exposed alternative. It most definitely proved the best.
Unfazed by the elements, or what The Age has described as “[a] billowing black stage curtain and ominous rumbling” during what was a “stormy, humid night” [2], an undeterred Jones paid little heed to the unrelenting smattering rain; no stopping it.
Rather and quite on the contrary, the unusually rough weather conditions formed a perfect backdrop to this unstoppable Jamaican-born Force of Nature and magically became one with her persona. As she commanded immediate stage presence, an electrifying and intoxicating Jones once again proved what a statuesque powerhouse of an uncommon human being she is, and that she is more resilient and more impressive than ever at the tender age of 77.
Words are simply not enough to capture the engrossing presence of Grace Jones nor the humble perfection of late Leonard Cohen (at his last ever concert at the Vector Arena in Auckland, 21 December 2013, he captivated a crowd who, entranced and forever smitten, watched him hunched down on stage – his signature accessory hat firmly placed on his head and with an even larger personality to boot).
Legends from different planets moving in different creative orbits, Cohen’s and Jones’ shared message is one of stoic resilience also in the face of concurrent political adversities, as well as humility and peace. And so is Love, as in the case of Jones’ Love is the Drug, where she achieved a seamless dialogue with her audience.
Arriving fashionably late (word has it that she slipped or otherwise injured herself at Sydney Airport on arrival in Australia) a much anticipated Grace Jones appeared on stage 37 minutes after her scheduled start and was mindful of the ‘slippery when wet’ surface but showed no sign of hobbling as she, rather, slid with lightning speed into different outfits; one fantastic creation after the other – as if there was no tomorrow.
Playing up until the 1.5-hour mark and refusing to NOT go over her assigned time slot, an untouchable Grace Jones who won’t have a bar of such mundane nonsense, came adorned in different masks, costumes and outfits. She struck one pose after another during a flowy and festive carnival recreated on stage where we were invited into her own bewildering and enigmatic universe.
And what a special realm that is. We lost track of time as we watched, gobsmacked, Jones blend genres and styles. As always, she added a theatrical touch to her performance, demonstrated her artistic versatility with bravado, and assured us of her ability to turn “every stage appearance into a work of performance art. Grace Jones became the experience: defiant, glamorous, transgressive, sovereign.[3]”
And yet behind each outrageous costume, the woman/ artist/ gay icon/ Icon No-Matter-What – who has inhabited an infinite number of personas both publicly and privately throughout her eminent career (her “Private Life” is forever available for the whole world to share, if only for a moment) and both on stage and on screen, and who was once celebrated for her androgynous figure – remained herself throughout this 2026 Melbourne show.
She came across as relaxed, natural and 100% Grace Jones: the individual behind the mask (the mask we all carry?). In 2017 documentary Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami, this star who resides in her own galaxy can be heard confessing that her profession/calling can be a “lonely place.”[4] No doubt it can be and yet she embraces and welcomes the loneliness, rocks up to every occasion and performs like none other than Grace Jones is able to perform. The Show Must Go On.
On 2 March 2026 she never wavered, never abandoned her convictions; her values in the right place and triply admired: by the crowd, the band, and her support act The Illustrious Blacks. [5] At one of many significant points during the show, Jones leaned on this married duo. Summoned upon, they were firmly requested to lift their idol; in a deliberate move an instant before an ever-immaculate Jones performed “My Jamaican Guy”.
Grace Jones is an exquisite multifaceted and multiflavoured cocktail of different ingredients. Determined and outspoken yet deliciously subtle, enraged yet witty and tongue-in-cheek, she is an alluring goddess and seductress who stays sublimely afloat amid US insanity and who captivates and enthrals through her enduring supernatural magnificence.
She has an invigorating ALIVENESS and she cleverly chose CHAOS as her guiding star and key word for her Australian 2026 tour. Chaos is the answer as it leads to new possibilities and new beginnings and Jones is cathartic and sets us free. We yearn for nothing less and as we dive headlong into this current show, come together as one, we quickly realise Chaos Jones style is the only way forward and our only escape.
Backed up by her 8-piece ensemble – with Jones’ son Paulo Goude on hypnotic percussion – every reinterpreted song by an explosive Grace Jones on 2 March 2026 was a drug and a delight and transported us back in time, all through the decades of her fixture and permanence in our lives [6].
And each mesmerizing song, every subtle beat and every ravishing rhythm elevated us to new heights and opened up new dimensions: Night Clubbing, Slave To The Rhythm, Private Life, La Vie En Rose, Pull Up To The Bumper [7], I’ve Seen That Face Before (Libertango), Walking In The Rain (befitting for that very Melbourne night; Melbourne not a stranger to showers), Victor Should Have Been A Jazz Musician… The list goes on.[8]
What a treat to share the same space with the very Grace Jones if only for a night: “So much more than an extraordinary musical artist, Jones has star quality and charisma to spare. We’re stoked to exist at the same time as Jones and bask in her majestic presence for an hour or so.”[9]
Words have never rung truer. As we collectively exited the venue, we were positively high in all senses of the word: reenergised, enlightened and better people, infused as we were by the energy of an indominable force. Therein lies the lingering legacy of Grace Beverly Jones.
Grace Jones – Trendsetter, Ground breaker, Fashion maker, and So Much More
Words: Dr Jytte Holmqvist
Images: Grace Jones in concert – photo by Jytte Holmqvist, Melbourne, 2 March 2026 | Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami, 2017 (poster) – courtesy of Kino Lorber | Illustrious Blacks – courtesy of Insomniac | Grace Jones in concert – photo by Jytte Holmqvist, Melbourne, 2 March 2026
Footnotes:
[3] Ibid.
[4] Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami: www.youtube.com and www.youtube.com
[5] The married duo delivered one political statement after the other in a captivating show where words and catch phrases on constant repeat spoke volumes. They have been described as follows: “Self-proclaimed Afro-Electro-Disco-Space-Punks, DJ/Music duo The Illustrious Blacks are unlike anything you’ve ever seen. Part DJ set, part dance performance, part Studio 54, party Berlin underground, this NY couple know how to put on a SHOW!” – www.insomniac.com
[6] “A boundary-breaker and cultural disruptor, Jones has reshaped music, fashion and performance with an audacity that remains unmatched. From the smoky, lawless clubs of ’70s New York to the sleek minimalism of Compass Point, she didn’t move between genres. She collapsed them. Disco bowed to post-punk; reggae fused with new wave; fashion merged with theatre; and the straight lines of pop culture bent beneath her will. Grace did not follow movements. She created them.” – www.palaceforeshore.com
[7] www.youtu.be
[8] See a select sample of her songs here: www.palaceforeshore.com