Live Review: Flight Facilities, Client Liaison

Client Liaison are free of fear, but that doesn’t mean they’re not trying new things. As usual, singer Monte Morgan brings his interpretive dance moves, has an outfit change halfway through the set, and is shirtless by the end of it; these elements are as familiar as their ‘90s iconography. However, not only does Morgan’s majestic mullet look freshly straightened tonight, but the Melbourne executives of style have brought some additional guests.

Instrumentalist Harvey Miller’s brother, Geordie, is the first to grace the stage. He brings guitar solos to Hotel Stay and the next few songs before Tom Tilly from triple j’s Hack program appears. Wearing an all-white outfit, he wielded his bass guitar for Queen and the group’s recent Like A Version medley.

Miller punches the synth pads during Feed The Rhythm, while Morgan relishes the spotlight once the guests leave. He calls like a kookaburra as Canberra Won’t Be Calling Tonight merges seamlessly into End Of The Earth, stalking eerily through the green lighting like an alien.

The giant screen behind the stage flickers into life as footage of a cockpit and runway is matched to the opening chimes and in-flight preparations of Intro by Flight Facilities. James Lydell and Hugo Gruzman walk onto the stage to applause so loud you’d think they’d just safely landed a plane on the Hudson River. Their roles seem pretty simple, as Hugo adopts an enthusiastic grin throughout the night while James occasionally raises his hand in the air and points. Regardless of their level of involvement, they let the music coming out of the speakers be the star of the show.

This doesn’t mean they haven’t brought along some friends of their own. Brooke Addamo, also known as Owl Eyes, is confident and engaging as she croons and murmurs through Two Bodies. The disco flair is missing from I Didn’t Believe and Foreign Language, but Stand Still is bumped up into a euphoric high as the duo mix into the Wave Racer remix of the track. She settles more comfortably into the slower tunes like Crave You and the otherworldly Clair De Lune.

The night alternates between Brooke and Kurt Kristen, who struts onstage for With You with an inexplicable French braid and some undeniable dance moves. Hold Me Down is a bit strained, but his passion and onstage grace are a show of their own. Instrumental album tracks like Down To Earth segue into the performances, taking the focus from the stage and back to the dancefloor. Sunshine is the perfect combination of both, before the cast of the evening come out to wave goodbye over John Paul Young’s Love Is In The Air.