Client: New women-machines

What makes a song a sure-fire hit is something not even computers can formulate because it may depend on a destiny’s faveolus when synchronicity of an act and mass demand are on an ultimate alignment? Or, it could be more random than casting a die? It is difficult not to mull over such matter while Client are serving out an infectious track, ‘Price Of Love’, that should have been atop the charts by mid-April!?

In this small club where even the notes perspire and a Client can sign an autograph without leaving stage even if you happen to stand at the far back, the touring foursome – the studio line-up numbers a duo – feel a tad nervous by the proximity of (early) adoration. Client:A is in the background, turning her knobs and keying tones to lead/decorate this music that is inspired by Kraftwerk as much as by the late 1970/early 1980s ‘Electro-wave’ in the UK. Client:B is eyeing us over the front mic.

Avoiding sound cloning, the girls use the blueprint of Elektrik-welle, season it with plethora of details, pre-loaded it with ice-queenish lure but the overall projection is more akin to a poppier Suicide or, even, a David Bowie-Brian Eno collaboration fronted by Laurie Anderson… Client start the show with the band’s manifesto-song, ‘Client’, later followed with industrially inclined ‘Rock’n’Roll Machine’, before getting down to a more intimate (read: sarcastic relationship dissections) setting of their songwriting.

To a greater degree than Ladytron, the two ladies inject more energy (funky-beats often ring in their ‘disco’) as well as more ambient elements, to fashion songs that are way above ‘cold’ cyber-scape they should be, being presented in this musical set-up where bass and drums are as alien as bagpipes. Two Client:Y’s, guitarist and another machine-‘operator’, add to the aural picture to make it rockier, more vital, instant and resolute than on the album. (As the best tradition regulates.)

Behind the two women’s flight attendants-like ‘uniforms’ are strong characters, knowing only too well what they want and how they want it. Their promo pictures are only showing parts of them, sans heads, and there is a whole philosophy behind the music making. Although very nice parts of male (and female, let’s not beat about the South) obsessions, seen in all their highheels, are Kate Holmes (Client:A) and Sarah Blackwood (Client:B), once a vocalist with Dubstar.*

The highlight of this performance – more a showcase at 30-odd minutes and no encore – was ‘Happy’, a song when C:B delivered a vocal that was a deadly mixture of quiet disdain and menace with enough detachment to make it sound deliciously venomous. One couldn’t help but let the inner self have a ball!

Client can stop the waste-disposal-pop but has the world lost its sense for catchy, clever and sassy songs? For the sake of music lovers’ sanity around the Globe, the only acceptable answer is – negative.

* There is also a silent-partner, an associate-member, Client:F whose role is, well – mysterious. For real, it is Andy Fletcher of Depeche Mode.