With the first show being sold out, we arrived to a packed Roxanne just as the Gaslamp Killer was starting. Apparently no-one minded that it was a school night, the energy in the room was buzzing and the drinks were flowing.

Melbourne hasn’t taken long to catch on to the genius that is The Gaslamp Killer. His eccentric personality is contagious and his musical knowledge is so fantastic that it feels as though he is taking the listener through a degree in musical education. His sets are high energy, quirky, fun filled and take unexpected twists and turns

Gaslamp Killer took us on an educational journey around the globe and back in time: from Sweden to Tokyo, LA to Thailand. Informatively announcing the history of the tracks as he played, he mixed up samples of quirky 60s and 70s music, world music and swing melodies with his distinctly wonky beats. There were moments of psychadelica, funk and dubstep and even touches of chiptune fused with hip hop and Gaslamp's own magical touch. Not dissimilar to a mad scientist creating a special concoction in his lab, the ('muther fucking') Gaslamp Killer is a pleasure to watch as he, and his hair, provide electrifying energy to the crowd.

One of Warp Records’ golden children, Flying Lotus kicked off his set with some bouncy, chopped-up dubstep, ensuring that anyone who was taking a break from the dancefloor after the Gaslamp Killer set would promptly return. An interlude of funk, jazz and swing gave way to a smooth transition into the core of his set with some tasty electronic and hip hop collaborations. The Gaslamp Killer jumped back on the microphone for some comical entertainment like a cheeky younger brother (just in case we were missing his "mother fucking vibe"), bringing back the energy that he had created earlier in the night. The crowd of hip hop fans was treated to some classics that caused quite the dance floor eruption, FlyLo clearly pleased with their reaction. He held his crowd’s attention closely from beginning to end, with a much more bass-heavy set than his experimental sounds.

What started out as a more than promising set from Flying Lotus developed into something unexpected thanks to an irritating MC. His vocals like ‘yo yo yo’ and other various chants and rants dominated Flying Lotus’ music. The icing on the cake was his comment about the front row only being ladies (laaaaaaay-deeees) which meant Flying Lotus was the coolest artist in town and this show was unique. Or something. It was cringe-worthy and really detracted from Lotus’ set.

Annoying MC aside, not many artists can combine influences from so many genres into such smooth beats, and Flying Lotus has that down pat. So does the Gaslamp Killer, so musically and energy wise it was a pretty special show.

Review by Amanda and Belinda Healy.