Live Review: Kllo, Jack Grace

Not even a pin drop could be heard in the venue as Jack Grace quietly walks over and takes a seat at the grand piano. He begins with some simple chords backed by those brooding, emotionally heavy vocals. Grace then adds an experimental, pulsing electronic beat for an atmospheric enhancement among the smoky haze that swirls around him. Grace spends quite a bit of time on his set up and makes some adjustments while asking us to settle in and get comfortable. We appreciate his attention to detail as he loops a range of unique percussive beats and moves back and forth between instruments. 

After some last minute changes to the set, Grace decides to play a few new songs, which he admits are perhaps a bit unrehearsed. There are a few hiccups, but Grace recovers quickly. He invites Melbourne newcomer Eliott to the stage for a moving duet of her debut single Figure It Out (which Grace produced). This heartfelt tune is packed with emotional punch and stunning vocals alongside gentle instrumentation.

A blue strip of lighting illuminates the perimeter of the stage as Kllo begin. Band members Chloe Kaul and Simon Lam typically perform as a duo, but tonight this special one-off show is the very first time they perform with a backing band that includes a drummer, keyboardist and two back-up singers. "We make all of our tunes in the back of a bungalow in Simon's parents' place, so this place makes it all seem so much more expensive," says Kaul. Kllo really step it up for this evening's polished performance that's definitely enhanced by the incredible acoustics of this world-class venue.

Their electro-pop fusion of R&B and garage usually makes us want to dance and move about, but in this seated venue they tailor most of their arrangements to suit the occasion. Dissolve is stripped-back and delivered with a slower pace. Kaul moves away from her instrumental pod and focuses on accentuating her smooth and delicate vocals, while Lam drives the emotional builds with melancholic chords on the grand piano. Their latest single Potential is a down-tempo ballad that's perfect for this setting.

The duo pump it up a bit with what Kaul refers to as some of their "semi-bangers" including By Your Side and Virtue. We fight the temptation to stand up for a dance and instead opt to tap legs with hands and bop our heads along to the captivating rhythms that conjure a euphoric feeling. Some unexpected noises frighten Kaul during their last song Nylon, so they take a moment to reset and restart the touching ballad to ensure a refined conclusion.