Usually you go to a gig and get exactly what you expect. Then there are gigs where Client Liaison and Dune perform.
Walking into the band room of the Workers Club on Thursday night was like walking into the 80s. Client Liaison describe themselves as “international in flavour, cosmopolitan in style.” They are all of the above, and on top of that, they channeled the likes of Michael Jackson and A-ha to create a portal straight back to the decade of mullets, suit jackets, dance moves and all.
It wasn’t just the look, but the sound – heavy on the synth and on the theatrics, Harvey Miller and Monte Morgan delivered a mean pop ballad. Some punters even got their dance on, and it’s hard to say whether the whole performance was hilarious or impressive. Maybe both.
After Client Liaison finished and the audience stopped boogie-ing, the crowd only swelled with more people cramming into the room to get a glimpse and earful of Dune.
The solo project of Jade MacRae, who among other projects has collaborated with The Sleepy Jackson and Pnau. This was MacRae’s first ever live show as Dune and she arrived on stage with a hood and curly hair obscuring her eyes. She began quietly and without great aplomb. However, anyone who thought this would turn out to be an ordinary night after all was mistaken, with MacRae hitting her stride within minutes.
A bassist and drummer were there to back her up, not to mention a projection screen behind them which was put to good use, displaying images that were abstract, but seemed to go with the music.
She worked through her small repertoire with ease, including her single ‘Shoestring’, which was the basis of the evening’s launch. Her banter was generally brief, but the audience loved everything that came out of her mouth. By the end, the majority of the crowd was dancing, or at least grooving along to the eclectic music – an interesting mix of RnB, indie pop and dance.
The tunes mix the traditional drums and bass with a lot of synth and a lot of electronics, and everything just works. MacRae boasts a fiery stage presence, playing music that seems to dare you to not enjoy it. It’s hard to describe what she brings to the music – songs that might fall flat with another vocalist’s touch were instead electrified and incredibly danceable.
Even those who aren’t typically big fans of the genres on display will find something to love about Dune – even if it’s just that everyone ends up finding their groove.
– Sharona Lin
