Jones graces the stage

Singer puts on typically mystical show

19 July 2009 - After a rousing sing-a-long as the sun set for Doves' set and appearing just 20 minutes after her scheduled stage time, Grace Jones arrived on the obelisk stage in typically dramatic fashion.

Elevated high above the audience on a crane lift, she appeared in an explosion of blue light. Opening with Nightclubbing, she wore her trademark devils horn mask with red LED lights. 

Stomping down from the lift in comically huge platforms, she prowled the stage like a tiger telling the audience she needed a drink before launching into My Jamaican Guy.

Her costume changes astounded the audience as she seemed to transform herself between songs into new characters without missing a beat or leaving the stage.

In between songs her banter verged on the bizarre as her team changed her out of one costume into another.

"I believe he's in a better place. I wrote this song for Michael because we both come from religious families strict religious families"
Grace Jones on Michael Jackson

After a version of Demolition Man that saw her smashing huge cymbals attached to her wrists, she donned a beautiful cape and mask and straddled a pole that rotated as she sang Libertango faultlessly.

Grace took time to pay tribute to Michael Jackson before her track Williams Blood saying ‘I believe he's in a better place. I wrote this song for Michael because we both come from religious families strict religious families’.

Love Is The Drug saw Grace dazzle the crowd as she donned an intensely sparkly bowler hat.

And for Slave To The Rhythm she stunned the crowd by defying gravity with her hula hoop which she swivelled around her hips whilst singing on a podium.

The lights then went up to signal the end of the set and the crowd thought it was all over as the PA started playing BUT Grace wasn't done! 

Stomping back on shouting "So there's a curfew?! Can you all scream to get me back on" did little to help her extend her set. The stage managers had the ultimate power, cutting her mic and bringing the show to a close.
Always controversial and never one to follow the rules but the most stunning star at Latitude so far.

Julie Cullen and Alex Waez