Don’t judge me, but I had a little snooze during Client Liaison’s Golden Plains set (I had just watched 12 hours of music, okay). As I stretched out on the hill enjoying some precious Zs I could faintly hear the thump of their dirty disco beats, sending the amphitheatre into a delicious dance spasm. I have since regretted missing them. To my delight, the cosmopolitan Melbournian duo played The Toff on Easter Sunday; finally my sin would be redeemed. They were supported by Romy (formerly of Macromantics), her performance was a little bit like the video clip to Madonna’s Holiday minus the backing dancers; a lot of side-to-side dance steps. It’s a new direction for the ex-rapper turned queer electro queen, with breathy echoed vocals, a drum pad, keyboard and a DJ. DJ Dan Watt kept everyone company in between sets while sought after Melbourne DJ and other Golden Plains act Post Percy brought the night home.
Client Liaison is Monte Morgan and Harvey Miller and they are damn fine specimens. Dressed like the cast of Frontline, they mix ’80s and ’90s office chic with an injection of camp Australiana. Lead singer Monte sported a permed mullet (“I love being here and I love doing my hair” he announced) and a white blazer with shoulder pads, while sexy synth master Harvey wore a tan turtleneck and kept an air of mystery about himself. The pair appear instantly at home on stage with a sound that borrows heavily from sleazy ’80s disco, pulsating techno and fun pop balladry, not wholly similar, but in parts akin, to Scissor Sisters or Mika. Monte is quite obviously a born showman; his voice is faultless and those sensational dance moves, often coordinated with Harvey, geared up an already super charged crowd.
The dance floor was one big humidity crib with punters leaving their respectable selves at the door. The Australiana shtick was capitalised with the screening of a very old Ansett promotional video along with images of horse racing. They also lapsed into Yothu Yindi’s Treaty at one stage. Tunes such as The End Of The Earth portrayed that corporate tribalism which became even more pronounced when Monte changed outfits half way through the set. He transformed from boardroom chic to disco shaman, donning some white slacks and a gold and blue bib necklace that glittered against his sweaty bare chest. The whole act was very polished but never contrived. Having formed in 2009, they are fast becoming a word-of-mouth kind of band. Quite a few tunes were met with a “holy shit they’re playing that song” type of applause, while a couple of new numbers, such as Pretty Love, were adopted instantly with a big sweaty dance-hug. The new loves of my life played three encores, sealing the evening with some “deep techno”. Their disco-pop gems were preferable to the hard finish but left everyone with that fantastic mix of elation and exhaustion.
BY ADELAIDE FRENCH
LOVED: Mullets, water coolers, turtlenecks. Need I say more?
HATED: Sweat, baby, sweat, baby.
DRANK: A huge glass of water to replace lost fluids.
