Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion feels electric before a single note lands. The second night added after the first sold out, the anticipation is tangible. G Flip has returned home riding serious momentum: ARIA-nominated single ‘Disco Cowgirl’, a sprawling North American tour, and a run through the UK that culminated at Brixton Academy. Tonight, that global velocity funnels directly into a packed Sydney room.
Ayesha Madon opens the evening with poise and quiet authority. Best known for Heartbreak High, she stands comfortably in her own lane here, her voice cutting clean through the venue’s vastness. Songs from her debut EP The Unanticipated Prequel land with controlled warmth, triple j-ready but built for rooms larger than this. The crowd leans in. It’s not hype. It’s recognition.
When The Beaches take the stage, the temperature shifts. Backseat Mafia last saw the Toronto quartet on their previous Australian tour in 2024, and what felt like promise then now reads as full arrival. Tracks from No Hard Feelings carry swagger without calculation, Jordan Miller commanding the stage with ease. ‘Blame Brett’ detonates last and the Hordern crowd go crazy.
Before G Flip steps onstage, the Hordern Pavilion is already vibrating with anticipation. A countdown rolls across the venue screens and the entire crowd takes it over, chanting in unison: three… two… one… When they appear, the response is immediate and thunderous.
They open with ‘Disco Cowgirl’, the ARIA-nominated single detonating from the first beat, before moving straight into ‘Gay 4 Me’, a vast rainbow flag unfurled and carried across the stage. It’s a confident and deliberate opening, setting both the tone and the intent for the night.
Early in the set, G Flip pauses to establish what they call the rules of the show. It comes down to one word: respect. Respect for each other. Respect for everyone’s sexuality. Respect for the space. They acknowledge those who have come alone, particularly anyone navigating anxiety or depression, recognising how difficult it can be to step into a packed room by yourself. The applause that follows is sustained and sincere. The atmosphere shifts from excitement to something more intentional. Safe, but not sanitised.
What stands out immediately is the breadth of the audience. There are young kids here with their parents, they are holding handmade signs, dancing without hesitation. The generational spread feels significant. This is a space where visibility and affirmation carry weight.
Musically, G Flip remains a formidable presence. Best known for their drumming, they are unmistakably a multi-instrumentalist, moving fluidly between instruments and at one point, saxophone, adding a brassy flourish that cuts cleanly through the mix.
Between songs, G Flip remains composed and direct. They command the space with assurance, returning home not diminished by success, but strengthened by it.
The tour moves to Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth next, tickets HERE.
Images Deb Pelser
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