Justice Crew return to Perth with their Run It Back Tour

Justice Crew have announced their Run It Back Tour following the recent release of their new single, JUSTICE. The tour is set to hit major cities around the country with a Perth show at Metro City on Saturday, October 4—with tickets on sale now. PRUDENCE ACKRILL spoke with ‘Paulie’ Merciadez to find out what sparked the group’s reunion, the release of their new single and what they have planned following the tour.

It’s been eight years since your last Perth show. Is there anything you’re looking forward to most with your return to WA?

We’ve always loved coming over. It’s a nice change of environment and vibe. I moved over from Sydney a few years ago. WA has always been one of the best crowds to perform in front of—we get a lot of love from them, which makes us want to go even harder and put on a great performance.

This year marks 15 years since Justice Crew won Australia’s Got Talent. How does it feel looking back on that? Do you have any favourite memories from that time?

It honestly doesn’t feel that long ago. I can still remember every moment leading up to performing in the semis when we had the grey cardigans on. I’d never felt so bloody nervous. After finishing that routine without a fault and hearing the audience applauding, it was like the biggest weight was lifted off my shoulders. And the moment Grant announced us as the winners—I still get goosebumps when I look back on the footage.

Since then, you have had a lot of success and supported acts like Janet Jackson, Pitbull and One Direction, to name a few. Did you ever get used to that kind of success, or were there moments that you had to pinch yourself?

Performing was always something I knew I wanted to do. Knowing that I put a smile on at least one person’s face or inspired them was my motivation, so whether it was busking in the Sydney CBD for a few dozen people passing by or in an arena for thousands of people, it was a blessing to be able to do what I was passionate about regardless of how big or small the show was. But to be given the opportunity to share the stage with multiple international artists… It’s safe to say I lost count of how many times I had to pinch myself.

Your last tour was in 2019. When did you guys have the idea to jump back in the studio and head off on tour?

I think it was always the plan. Before COVID, we had shows and tours lined up for the year. Consequently, they were all postponed and later cancelled. So that was the main instigator of the hiatus. But we’d always joked about doing a reunion tour when we were grey and old, and some of us aren’t too far off, ha!

And so, the igniting spark to tour came about when we were approached to headline an outdoor event in Sydney back in February, which we were in fact divided at first on whether we should do it or not. Eventually, we agreed and thought, “Why not?” The show was sold out and had other cities screaming in the comments for us to come to their cities. So that same night in our accommodation, we started brainstorming over beers and kebabs.

What tracks are you most excited to bring back on stage?

Que Sera. One of, if not our biggest, songs to date. Everyone really gets involved with their phone torches out; they sing along, and it has that post-footy game celebration feel to it. Awesome vibe.

Your latest track, JUSTICE, was released on August 1 and covers themes of empowerment and unity. Is there a reason you wanted to return after six years with this particular track?

It’s been a crazy journey over all these years, and not only did we grow as people but creatively as artists as well, and we really wanted to portray that, and especially with everything going on in the world right now, we thought it was fitting. The song was written with the help of close mates Andi and Panapa, with our very own Solo Tohi taking the lead on production.

And what has the response been like?
Very positive! A very different sound to what we’ve done in the past, but nonetheless a song we enjoyed creating and most certainly enjoy performing. A song people can dance to made by dancers.

Can you tell us about any plans you have following the tour?

Surely a holiday. And tattoos. Nah—in all seriousness, I reckon I’ll be heading over east a few more times before the end of the year for meetings and some more studio time with the crew. Workshops and a regional tour are on the cards. But yeah, probably another tattoo.

Justice Crew bring their Run It Back Tour to Metro City on Saturday, October 4, 2025. Tickets are on sale from megatix.com.au