Gold Panda @ NAC

At half 9 on Friday night, the NAC brimmed with punctual Gold Panda fans. A fellow East Anglian, Gold Panda strolled onto the stage and casually broke into an alien-sounding electronic set. What followed was more than a series of bleeps. Derwin Panda’s set boasted an artsy backdrop; grainy clips of different locations shared the screen, later to be replaced by blossoming flowers and trippy kaleidoscope images. The visuals, from Norwich legend Dan Tombs, complemented the music in the way that lyrics usually do.

But this was Gold Panda, a man whose word-free, lo-fi electronica won him The Guardian First Album award, among various other critical acclaim. Said first album, Lucky Shiner, got the crowd dancing – these were Norwichians that had stuck around since its 2010 release. Gold Panda bobbed behind the decks, interspersing old tracks like You with his 2016 sound. You didn’t have to be a DJ to recognise how talented Gold Panda is. While jumping from side-to-side his hands moved deftly, from drum machine to various other sounds and effects. At points during the 90 minute show, the beats seemed a bit repetitive but crackly samples and oriental sounds kept nudging the set back to life, reinforcing Gold Panda's command over the NAC.