Fred Again

During the finale of his USB002 residency, Fred Again achieved the extraordinary—bringing the legendary Thomas Bangalter (one half of Daft Punk) out of hiding for a DJ set. This had only previously happened once, on Bangalter’s home turf at a Paris show in October. This time, the location was Fred’s favourite London venue Alexandra Palace. Whenever I’ve walked into the venue with its cathedral-high ceilings, I’ve felt history unfolding.

Fred’s affinity with Alexandra Palace began with an earlier four-date run in September 2023, which culminated in an electric surprise appearance from Skrillex. The joy and euphoria felt by the crowd throughout Fred’s five-hour headline set that night was contagious. It was a masterclass on delivering a surprise show. So, expectations for the latest instalment were high, but the reality proved even better.

Like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Fred’s music often oscillates between two different personalities. On the one side are his more emotional, melancholic-leaning tracks, many of which can be found on his Actual Life trilogy. On the other side are his heavier, high-energy bangers from the USB compilations. These two styles serve as Fred’s yin and yang, and fans were expecting a show that would encompass the immensely different feelings of all these elements.

Fred’s journey to merge these different styles into one generational live show really started off back in 2022, with the release of his track ‘Jungle’. This more frenetic side of Fred’s music ushered in exciting new times for dance music as the world emerged from its pandemic slumber. Fast forward to 2026, and Fred’s influence has grown even more. On his most recent USB tracks he’s worked with what feels like half the music industry, including artists such as Caribou, JPEGMAFIA, Skepta, Sammy Virji, and BIA. Each of these team-ups finds the artist connecting with a style that differs from expectations.

Several of these collaborators appeared at USB shows earlier this year, with the likes of Underworld, JME, and Mike Skinner all making surprise cameos. Many fans were left wondering how the final show could possibly be made any greater. They didn’t need to worry.

Bangalter’s appearance felt historic from the moment it was announced on the morning of the show. The actual set was brilliantly executed, and full of clever mashups and outings for Daft Punk classics like ‘One More Time’ and ‘Digital Love’. Not satisfied with bringing out one of dance music’s greatest icons, Fred also brought out grime legend Kano for a performance of ‘3 Wheel-ups’ that left me wanting 100 more. Jamie T’s appearance also brought a feeling of immense collective freedom.

The show felt immensely significant—the end of the tour, but also the start of a new era where the classic and the modern combine to create something even greater. Fred has alluded to new music from Bangalter, so this could be the start of even more extraordinary moments to come from the pair. For now, this feels like the perfect end.