MELBOURNE-based synth-pop purists Client Liaison last met Newcastle under buckets of rain at a drenched King Edward Park for The Drop Festival in March.
On returning to the city last Friday they instead found themselves in 33-degree heat, a far cry from the cloudy poncho weather they'd seen previously.
Throughout their almost 70-minute set vocalist Monte Morgan constantly shed his layers of skin like a snake, eventually finding himself shirtless and sweat soaked.
Some of their best album tracks were omitted from the set list, instead choosing to road test new songs from their forthcoming sophomore LP.
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A thick coat of champagne stuck to the first few rows early on, following an ambush by Morgan. The champagne shower was welcomed though, with the venue becoming so hot that the side doors had to be opened.
On this tour the band have been more accustomed to much larger stages such as Sydney's Enmore Theatre, so it was interesting to see them navigating the Cambridge's more intimate setting.
I'll admit they're somewhat lucky they can hide behind the safety of pre-recorded drum backing tracks, but to combat that they showed off intricately-choreographed dance routines to optimise their stage presence.
Client Liaison are officially a duo, comprising of Morgan and Harvey Miller, but their live show extended to feature guitar and bass alongside a new member jumping between saxophone and flute.
Miller primarily sat behind a tower of synths, but at times he ventured outside with his glorious keytar.
Every song had a thumping bass drum that shook the venue's foundations, somewhere in the vein of an old school New York club.
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The music was completely mesmerizing. They drew listeners in by having a sense of familiarity in their songs, but not to the point where it bordered on plagiarism.
The Beat Supreme, their most recent single, paid homage to INXS' Need You Tonight. The '80s rockers are a clear influence for Client Liaison, with images of Michael Hutchence and other icons like Olivia Newton-John appearing on a screen behind them as the song carried on.
Where INXS were rough around the edges with their punk ethos and larrikin energy, Client Liaison are polished and professional, preferring to don designer suits much sooner than a leather jacket.
Encore number The Real Thing turned the whole '80s pop formula on its head though, feeling more like an anthem for the new Millennium blasting out of the speakers at the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000.
They ended their encore with a cover of Celebration by Kool & The Gang, and I'm sure that if closing times didn't exist, the gig-goers would've just danced long into the night.
