Review: G Flip never does anything by half measure
Review by Clare O’Rourke
I listened to G Flip’s sophomore album, Drummer, for the first time on a holiday in Tasmania. The first lyric on the album, “I had to drive across the country”, really captured the vibe of my road trip. The songs felt grandiose, and have since earned G Flip six ARIA nominations. It was my absolute pleasure to then stand in Sydney’s Enmore Theatre weeks later and watch them put on an electric, charismatic gig.
G Flip is one of those Aussie artists who emerged at the same time that I was discovering Triple J and Australian music. Songs from their 2019 debut album, About Us, featured heavily in my playlists at the time. The synth sounds laced throughout ‘About You’ and existential lyrics in ‘I Am Not Afraid’ (I am not afraid to do this alone / I know that it scares you but I am my own home) are associated with a momentous tonal shift in my own life where I’d just returned from university exchange and entered the workforce for the first time.
On their current tour, G Flip had their two albums to showcase and a buffet of successful singles. They managed to integrate a generous amount of crowd engagement (one such interaction was akin to Harry Styles during his Love on Tour concerts where they helped a crowd member come out; a very on-brand act for both artists) and freestyled on the drums a couple of times to spine-tingling effect. There were quieter, more intimate moments on the piano when they performed an acoustic version of ‘Waste of Space’ and ‘Scream’ under a moody spotlight which aptly suited the lyrical storytelling (I grew up uncomfortable / Eleven years old, and I wanted to die).
I appreciated the enthusiastic production decisions made to reflect the iconic venues G Flip was performing at for the first time (Sydney’s Enmore Theatre, Melbourne’s Forum Theatre). When performing ‘Rough’, they brought out three standing drums and erupted into an explosive, full-body performance of the song with two other band members. It felt cathartic to watch the drums – an instrument that dominates so much of this album – come to life with such a passionate ceremony. The lighting choices also satiated my love for an occasional strobe effect and helped match the chaotic energy G Flip can bring to their lyrics (You're no piece of cake / But I can't wait 'til we're gettin' baked).
Another highlight was the medley versions of ‘Killing My Time’, ‘Queen’ and ‘You & I’. It was pacey, sharp and incited excitement throughout the audience but I couldn’t help but feel like a full version of ‘Killing My Time’ was necessary, being one of the stand-out songs from About Us.
The energy was buoyant the entire gig. This sprightly Australian artist commands an audience with their soft but also edgy persona and isn't afraid to open up about how much they cry. They admitted that on tour they’d been “happy crying” before, after and sometimes during each show - which was very endearing.
G Flip never does anything by half-measure. Their 2020 triple j Like a Version cover of ‘Lady Marmalade’ is a perfect example of this. They approached that cover with a ten-person ensemble that remains one of my favourite Like a Version’s and it ended up making the recent Like a Version Hottest 100. This concert was no exception, and it left me feeling nostalgic for that 2019 version of myself (and my Tasmanian road trip!).
G Flip is currently touring their album, Drummer across Australia and the US. Find tickets and information here.
Image by Ashley Mar
Clare (or Yeah the Clare to her friends) enjoys life’s most random pleasures – a jar of (Aldi) peanut butter and Season 4 of Succession (#teamTom). Spotify told her that she spent an outrageous amount of time listening to music in 2022 and she’s out to break that record in 2023. She feels most creative when running or just before falling asleep.
Like what we do? Subscribe to our Patreon, or buy us a coffee.
