Expo Liaison | Flemington Racecourse
Client Liaison have made quite the name for themselves throughout the last few years. The two Melbourne lads, singer Monte Morgan and keyboardist/producer Harvey Miller, truly embody a vision that is uniquely their own—at least in this day and age. Where sleek hair and monochrome don a vast majority of Melbourne’s general public, Monte and Harvey pride themselves on their fashionable appearance, straight off a 1980s catwalk. And that’s just the thing, this duo create more than just music, they create an experience. Here is where we welcome Expo Liaison.
Monte and Harvey can now add event organisers to their ever-growing repertoire. This year saw the inauguration of the duo’s festival—“a unique festival experience”. Launching at Flemington Racecourse on Saturday August 18, Expo Liaison consisted of ice sculpting, wood chopping, and their ever-famous off white limousine…oh yeah, and there was some live music too. Don’t know if you heard through the grapevine but John Farnham was there? I’ll get to that part later.
What started out as a temperamental winters day turned into a very, very chilly winters night. But that’s not what is important—what is important is everything that happened in between. Walking into Flemington Racecourse that day, one couldn’t help but notice the smaller size and boutique feel of the festival. It wasn’t oversized, and it certainly did not take up as big an area as something such as Big Day Out may have back in its hay day. That’s the thing, Client Liaison know their target audience, they know their vision. They were adamant on it being intimate, with a boutique feel—giving off a “we’re all friends here” type of vibe. And they most certainly delivered.
Food truck festivals and a merchandise stand were very much in show too. After all, it is a festival! The bar served up all the usual drinks of choice, with a few boujee CL cocktail additions to boot.
Now, I don’t know about all of you, but going to festivals with numerous stages can get exhausting—the clashes, running from one stage to another, trying to meet up with all your wasted mates. It’s hard, man! And your legs get tired (and cold, especially on this particular occasion). Bless up to the boys, though, who matched their stage and line-up decisions to the general aura of the festival—intimate, boutique, always boujee.
The festival was a true testament to Australian musical talent—NO ZU, Total Giovanni, Luke Million and Alice Ivy all hit the stage before the headliners, all bringing their own individual flair to the Expo Liaison stage. And yes, I pretended to be working out during Luke Million’s Arnold. And yes, I thought I was straight up killing it. And yes, I’d drank way too much goon before this exact moment.
If you’ve ever seen Client Liaison live before, then you can empathise with the sheer joy that they bring to any stage. Monte’s vocals are incomparable; they are strong and sensual, the notes are high and smooth, complimenting the synth that permeates through most—if not all—of Client Liaison’s tracks. Harvey is a powerhouse, dominating the music that guides Monte’s vocals oh, so well. A very notable mention to their other two touring members as well—Geordie Miller and Tom Tilley. This gig especially being a very special one for ol’ mate and Triple J Hack babe, Tom, who’s been out of action for a substantial period of time due to a motorbike injury. This was the first time back performing for him after a decent hiatus, and you could not even tell that he had been injured. He looked strong and in his element.
The band weaved through a collective of tracks, opening with Canberra Wont Be Calling Tonight, then leading into End Of The Earth. The highlight of their set (besies Farnzie—we’ll get to that) was the band performing their rendition of INXS’s Need You Tonight. You know ya girl got down during that track! The cover was effortless, and merged smoothly into the bands general ensemble. Also performing tracks such as Where Do We Belong, Feel The Rhythm and Survival In The City amongst a myriad of other bangers, the band were dishing out everything they had, and the crowd was eating it all up. And let me tell you, it was delicious!
Now, the moment we’d all been waiting for, the return to the stage of none other than “The Voice” himself, Mr John Farnham! Accompanied by the band, Johnny boy hit the stage to perform three of his most classic hits: Pressure Down, Age of Reason and…the one…you know the one…the one, You’re The Voice. Lawd knows my vocal chords had seen better days after that performance. After all, it wasn’t just Farnzie performing on stage—it was the e n t i r e c r o w d, embracing in national pride and unity.
No sooner than he arrived, Farnzie left the stage to a roaring applause and quite possibly a few tears. It was undoubtable, there was an incredible vibe that swept through the festival that day: happiness, energy, togetherness, mateship. Client Liaison did all of that.
Before we knew it, the day was almost done. What better way to finish then with the band performing arguably their biggest, and certainly my favourite, banger Off White Limousine. What a dance party and good time that erupted into!
If there’s one thing that Client Liaison know how to do, it’s to bring people together through a very good time. Their band and true essence has grown into a cultural machine—one so unique to them that no one even comes close to comparing. A very large congratulations and thank you to all of you at Client Liaison HQ! Please feel free to run the country and my life.
