If it’s Bukem they will indeed come! The name LTJ Bukem and the brand Good Looking have come to signify a certain quality and a definitive sound. Along side his partner in crime, the equally legendary MC Conrad, the pair have been touring to celebrate the success of Good Looking under the banner: “The 13 Years of Good Looking “Unlucky For Some” World Tour.” And this time it was Melbourne’s turn to host the tour with support from locals, Lucas Chan, Sean, and Beatski.

It’s been a long time between drum and bass gigs at the Prince, my favourite venue in Melbourne town. Arriving at drum and bass o’clock it was great to see the place already quite full and the air was heavy with anticipation, will Bukem play the old stuff?

Warming the room very nicely was the man of Melbourne beats, Luca Chan. I have always enjoyed hearing Lucas selection, and of late he has been playing support at bigger parties which means more punters get to hear his quality work. Although I only caught the last half hour or so of his set, it was a great listen. Lucas’ selections were quite subtle but it didn’t stop the milling heads from hitting the dance floor, especially for that remix of Lamb’s “Gorecki.” Not only does he play a great selection of tunes he also manages to work in his own original work. Keep your ears out for more top work from Lucas Chan.

Next on was Sean, someone who is almost a standard fixture on the Melbourne scene, playing alongside many internationals as well as a host of local parties including a residency at the Lounge. Sean always adapts his sets well to fit the vibe of the night. I’ve got to thank him for playing some favorite Calibre tunes (“Bullets” and “Hypnotise”) and mixing in some classics from the days of drum and bass in its infancy.

However, it was Bukem and Conrad everyone was hyped to see. There are some things that are just made for each other ,Bukem and Conrad are just that. While Bukem is cool and suave behind the decks, Conrad jazzes things up on mike detail with intelligent rhymes and velvet vocals.

While in the past I have always enjoyed Bukem’s sets, this time round I found the performance quite different and I liked it more so for this. Of course there was wealth of layered, musical tunes, but there was a lack of the real atmospheric  that I have heard in his sets before.  Bukem also moved into some heavier territory and I found this quite surprising, not that it lessened my enjoyment, nor anyone else’s by the look of the packed dance floor.

There were few vocal tracks who needs them in a track when you have Conrad on the mike anyway! One of these was a remix of Marky and XRS’ “Moments of Lust” another, a reworking of Goldie’s “Inner City Life,” this time with a more layered sound, but still with that classic vocal.

At the end of the main set, Bukem did a mini set of old tunes that excited many a fan on the dance floor, harking back to the very first GL releases. Such tunes as “Atlantis” with its comparatively slower feel were a great education for some ears, including my own. After he’d finished, Bukem was cool enough to talk to fans, have photos taken and sign records.

Straight on up after Bukem was Beatski. Beatski is another important figure on the local scene, presenting an all drum and bass program on PBS FM. It’s a tough task to keep people on the dance floor after an international, he managed it with a nice selection of smooth tunes, even dropping in Conrad and Makoto’s “Golden Girl.”

While Bukem and Conrad certainly didn’t disappoint, the local support was also of high quality. The Prince was full to a comfortable capacity and the energy of the performances transferred positive energy to the crowd to make it a great night all round. Seems thirteen really is only unlucky for some!