G Flip, Jacoténe @ Hindley Street Music Hall, Adelaide 25/8/2023
In this generation of filming every moment it must be said that the phone doesn’t capture the essence of a live show. The energy between the artist and the audience just does not resonate like being there in the flesh. You cannot feel the electric energy in a room on a tiny phone and that’s the best part of a live show. G Flip’s sold-out show gave out light, love, and thumping raw power which the crowd lapped up like it was the last drop of water in the packed hot ‘n sweaty Hindley Street Music Hall. The Drummer Tour was all about G Flip and drums.
Before G Flip stormed on to the stage seventeen year old Triple J Unearthed High ’22 winner Jacoténe warmed up the crowd accompanied by JT McRae on drums and at times piano. Pretty confident she’s made some new fans with the power vocal performances singing original and some cover songs. After her set the crowd were ready and pumped for G Flip.
When G Flip hit the stage, it was one of the loudest screams The Hindley Street Music Hall as ever heard from a crowd. But the first thing on the agenda was to rock it out on the drums and drums at a G Flip show are never tucked away at the back or in the corner. The stage was set with them elevated high up on a block centre stage. Banging on those skins it was clear G Flip was making a stand that drums were an important part of the show telling us when writing the new album, they made sure that live drums were at the core of each song. No machines need apply.
One thing I did expect and I was correct, the crowd knew every word to every song. Starting off with album track 7 Days and ending with a thunderous roar of approval from the pumped-up crowd. During Hyperfine they demanded “Hands up Adelaide!” and yep, all hands were up. G Flip knows how to work a crowd.
Getting quite chatty, schmoozing up with her signature ocker Aussie accent calling out people in the crowd “Darl”, “Sweetheart” and “How the fuck ya doin’ Adelaide?” You could feel the heat in the room with some fans melting with delight. But there were a few ‘House Rules’ at this show. No shoving or pushing those around you, love to the LGBTQIA+ community, love for people with anxiety and depression and being welcome to all. Clear messages of love and inclusion.
Most of the songs came from her Australian number one album Drummer released only two weeks ago. Did I mention that the crowd knew all the lyrics to the songs? Yeah, brand new album and the crowd screaming out lyric after lyric. On Baked they sung “You’re my piece of cake, Can’t wait to get it baked.” Rough was a highlight and crowd favourite. Accompanied by her musicians, banging drums all together making it an almighty anthemic rhythm.
About You from they debut album About Us started off slow and solemn before G Flip got back on the drums banging away, then giving us another drum solo just to remind us again if we weren’t sure, the importance of drums. Gotta say, if you thought drums were sexy, G Flip made the drums even more sexy than they already were!
While they’re in their element behind the drums, G Flip is just as much on fire out the front strutting and getting the crowd wired up, on the guitar on or behind the piano showing a more vulnerable side with ballads. New song Australia hit the soft mellow sides, GET ME OUTTA HERE with the hip swinging, middle fingers, and up and down jumping with “no fucks to give” was pure rock raunch and anarchy.
Slowing it down with some older songs Killing My Time, You & I, Queen and new song Real Life which was their sister’s favourite song and almost didn’t make it on the album. They finished it a week before release date. Talk about deadlines! G Flip loved a bit of cheeky banter throughout the night with the crowd and also taking time to draw one fan’s next tattoo even though they claimed, “I can’t draw for shit!”
Keeping it on the slow and broody vibe Morning and Good Enough hit the heart strings before the house was brought down with Drink Too Much with the crowd screaming along to every word. The last song Be Your Man was the first song they wrote for wife, American actress Chrishell Stause. Chrishell was up in the loft and G Flip made sure they turned, looked up and blew a kiss to their wife. The crowd singing along with ferocity to Be Your Man was electric. When G Flip stood on the piano the roar was loud. When I say it was loud, it was LOUD!
Naturally the roar for an encore was… loud. On Lover they were back on drums, one lucky fan got a t-shirt for singing along to all the lyrics especially to the new songs and my favourite song of the night Worst Person Alive had the crowd once again yelling out the words with such big G energy. Last song before everyone had to come down from their G Flip adrenalin rush was GAY 4 ME. Wrapping the LGBTQIA+ flag around their neck, it was the prefect song to finish on. I’d say there were plenty of straight people in the crowd going gay for G Flip by the end of the night especially when it was mashed up with Ginuwine’s song Pony.
G Flip rocked the Hindley Street Music Hall. The crowd loved it. They loved it. I’m certain Chrishell loved it. Even saying on her Instagram, the Adelaide show was the loudest so far. So, yeah, Adelaide, be proud. You know how to rock!
* I do want to acknowledge that during the show a fan had passed out and there was a medical emergency. G Flip was so gracious and empathetic to the situation by stopping the show and making sure that the person was ok. They kept the crowd entertained by talking about the album to divert the attention to give space where needed while the medical respondents went to their aid. The crowd also did their bit by being well behaved and respectful to the situation.
Live Review By Anastasia Lambis