Live Review: Client Liaison, Bastian's Happy Flight

Bastian's Happy Flight began proceedings before an unfortunately small crowd, nonetheless taking command of the stage with Come For The Early (Stay For The Late), which zooms right past the guilty-pleasure field and lands solidly in golden pop territory. The crowd's response was imminent rather than immediate, working itself into a collective groove which would only grow larger as the night went on. RELATIONSHIPDENIAL seemed to get those standing at the back and sussing out the situation into their stride, as Will Slade's falsetto grooves combined with galactic synth-work encouraged movement within the room. You Keep Dancin' showcased the band's mastery of their crazily infectious '80s synth-pop sound, but that chapter seems to be coming to an end, as the band explained they'll be heading in a new direction and hinted where with a new song. Judging by the reaction of the audience, the progression is an exciting prospect.

Rather than coming across as a gimmicky niche band, Client Liaison have written some charming tunes, the kind you don't even have to be familiar with to fully appreciate live, and despite the large turnout, it did seem like there weren't all that many die-hard fans in the audience. Regardless, the live mix was huge and the crowd seemed to really enjoy itself as the duo worked their infectious '80s disco-pop vibes, which would inspire everyone to pull out their more interesting dance moves throughout the night. The retro synth pop style was sprinkled with absolute charm by both vocalist Monte Morgan and keyboardist Harvey Miller as they in reply busted out their best vintage dance grooves. If their fantastic hooks weren't enough for the audience members, they would certainly be engrossed by Morgan's hair, which was impeccably late '70s and made you wonder how he ever goes about his day-to-day business with it on his head. The duo played through songs old and new, their most recent tracks, That's Desire and Free Of Fear, garnering excited responses and an assurance that the band were heading in the right direction, while Feeling earned a buzz of recognition. They also played a number of nameless tracks that don't seem to be available to the public, and there will have been plenty among the audience who will be keeping an ear open for them as it seems certain the band won over plenty of Perth hearts.