Live Review: Client Liaison, GL

It was clear from the offset that the opening night of Client Liaison's national tour was going to be a big one. Punters gravitated towards the merch desk early, which exhibited an impressive range of classic Australiana-themed badges and cards, all displaying "Client Liaison" or "CL" in nostalgic fonts. Melbourne duo GL took to the stage shortly after doors and drew the building crowd in with big vocals from Ella Thompson and some incredibly lush synth and beats work from Graeme Pogson. There was no question that the audience were in the mood to party either; by the second song the pit in front of the stage was filled up with punters whose dance moves were just about as entertaining as the band on stage. Number One was a classic synth-pop jam and the lyrics were quick to pick up, while Runner was a total change-up in tempo, with Thompson almost snarling her vocals over an incessant and pounding synth beat. They did a fantastic job in warming up the crowd, and it was a good thing too, because they certainly needed it for what was to come.

It's been two years since this scribe put pen to paper after a comparatively humble Client Liaison show, and it is amazing what the group have been able to accomplish as far as building their live show since that time. As the lights lit up the stage, we were greeted by a classic '80s Australian office set-up: massive water coolers manned the back corner, cans of Fosters were lined up in front of the drum kit, and large pot plants were spread across the stage. While they're still technically a duo, Client Liaison have doubled their stage number to four for this tour, and the live sound created as a result was phenomenal. The group choreographed their way through the first track —  a new one — before frontman Monte Morgan became the sole focus for Pretty Lovers, which demonstrated that the man with the best hairdo in the biz has (unbelievably) managed to take his stage persona to another level. The dance moves were emphatic and paired up perfectly with the bright synth work from partner-in-crime Harvey Miller. Unreleased track Hotel Stay got a cheer from the diehards, but Feed The Rhythm was a banger of a highlight alongside new tune World Of Our Love, which some punters already had memorised. If you haven't already got yourself a ticket to one of their shows for this tour, get on it quick-smart — it will be one of the best performances you'll see all year.