Brian Slattery Photos
Rocking hard from Australia to Hamden.
“Is anyone in love in the audience?” G Flip asked the packed house at a sold-out show at Space Ballroom on Wednesday night. There were a few vigorous nods, and then someone said the obvious; they were in love with G Flip.
“Thank you for coming!” G Flip said.
“Thank you for being here!” the audience member responded.
“No stress, darling!” G Flip replied.
G Flip — a.k.a. Georgia Claire Flipo — is an Australian indie rock artist whose popularity has grown steadily since the release of their debut album, About Us, in 2019. Their follow-up, 2023’s Drummer, reached no. 1 in their home country and they’ve won or been nominated for a series of music-industry awards there. When they return to Australia in July, they and their band will play a big outdoor stage and a 13,000-seat venue.
Flipo isn’t a rising star; they’re already a big deal, just not (yet) in the United States. This dynamic certainly helps explain both the stadium-level quality of Flipo’s show, even in a smaller club like Space Ballroom, as well as the fever pitch of the fans in the room, whose obvious enthusiasm for the star had the energy in the room crackling from the moment Flipo hit the stage.
Flipo came out swinging with three bangers to start, with their fans screaming along to the lyrics from the jump. Giving a taste for what was coming, they started off on drums, laying down a driving rhythm before leaping off the throne to take center stage and work the crowd. It was the kind of opening move for a show that would work well on any size stage. In Space Ballroom, it had a pressure-cooker effect. By the time the third song was over, Flipo had the audience entirely on their side.
They laid down show rules. “We got to be kind to each other,” they said. They gave unstinting support to the LGBTQIA+ community. Third, “anyone who suffers from anxiety or depression, thanks for showing up.” They gave special shout-outs to “anyone who came by themselves,” too. “You’ll make friends,” they said. They encouraged people to sing along. They asked people to make room and shine lights if someone fainted, so help could arrive faster. And finally, “have fun!”
They introduced themselves as “a drummer who turned into a solo artist,” a statement that in effect structured the rest of the show. The next song, “Rough,” featured the entire band on drums, like a small marching band. Flipo then switched to guitar for “7 Days,” about “a breakup and having to leave the city for seven days just to get over it,” they said. That song built to a peak at the end that culminated in Flipo getting behind the kit for a drum solo that the crowd ate up.
As Flipo worked through their catalog, from the simmering gender bender “Be Your Man” to a solo piano ballad, they also worked across instruments, from drums to keys to acoustic and electric guitar, all while ably holding down lead vocals with a strong, declarative voice. It all left little doubt that G Flip’s success so far has been built on real musicianship, from songwriting to performing.
But they also took advantage of the space to connect more personally with the audience, at one point leaving the stage (and, apparently, the building) to be able to reenter the room from the back and work their way into the delighted audience, who lit their face with cell phones while they sang. Many danced. Couples canoodled in the back. The show went on.
Toward the end of the set, Flipo mentioned that this show marked the end of this particular U.S. tour. They thanked the audience, as they had many times, for coming, and remarked that — after they released another album — they would be back. It seemed clear that the audience would return as well. Next time, it seemed clear, they might need a bigger stage.