G Flip IS the Switch and turns in a consummate and seamless professional performance, having the predominantly young female audience on a string.
They are Georgia Claire Flipo and they were born and raised in Melbourne, Australia.
They are obviously a musical prodigy. They were gifted their first drum kit by an uncle at the age of nine. A supremely talented drummer and has been in several groups (Whodafunkit?! may have been the first), as well as being a session player in Australia and Los Angeles.
They hold a bachelor’s degree in music performance.
They are a multi-instrumentalist as well as a lead singer. Girl Pop in the style which emanated from Ronnie Veronica Bennett Spector, rather than say a Darlene Love or LaLa Brooks. Either way the genesis is Spectorian.
They start as a power trio. G is on behind an impressive drum kit, and powers up with precision rhythms which give a thrill. As if Hal Blaine, the leader of the legendary Wrecking Crew is laying down the law.
Hirsute lead guitar, and bass guitar join her. Then in a quick switch another drummer takes the chair and turns the power up. G comes out front and they charge off into Get Me Outta Here (single 2022).
Follows with Hyperfine (single 2020) and the drums continue to lead, with guitar and bass as meshed waves.
This is the tour to promote sophomore album DRUMMER (2023), and first cab off the rank from that is Didn’t Mean To. This sets the tone of many songs tonight. Big stadium Pop anthems with drums leading the charge, and a judicious guitar solo thrown in.
I fucked up everything Baby/ Why do I gotta be so reckless with my honesty.
For Rough, they line up five floor drums. G plays in the fashion of Bow Wow Wow with their Burundi African tribal beats, assisted by the two guitarists. Whilst the big drum kit player continues. Monumental in the live setting.
For 7 Days they start with an acoustic guitar. They have issued an EP called drumless (2024) which excludes the thunder. G does both versions tonight as they leap around to pounce on the drums, whilst the number two drummer grabs the acoustic axe. Remains Power Pop in both formats.
They show their impressive credentials on the skins and cymbals with a Drums for Africa solo. All too brief, and I would have loved another one as well tonight.
Led Zeps John Bonzo Bonham was famous for twenty-minute solos on Moby Dick (rumours of a forty-five minute one).
Female drummers are rare in popular music, that is, ones that have stood out. I can only think of two. Karen Carpenter and Claudine Clark (check out her Party Lights from 1962 where she pre-empted Keith Moon).
G Flip is a proud and staunch advocate of the LGBTQi+ community and does talk about her recent marriage to American celebrity Chrishell Strausse.
Be Your Man is dedicated to her and could also be a non-binary anthem with a great rhythmic drive.
Lover (from About Us album 2020) and her voice sounds uncannily like Lady Gaga.
They play a few songs on a small keyboard and a highlight is Good Enough, a torch song ballad addressing loneliness.
They pick up a flying V guitar for Drink Too Much, where they unleash some shredding to finish the song.
Paige opens the show tonight.
Paige Tapara comes from Clarks Beach in South Auckland. She is a young Neo-Pop singer who is gaining significant industry recognition. One of the new generation of artists who arise from bedrooms and social media technology.
Playing solo and accompanying herself on guitar and pre-recorded music off her laptop.
Melodic beat-oriented music and a Pleasure Pop voice.
I Hope You Know is an original song highlight. She precedes this by explaining it is a break-up song from the point of view of the author. From the arsehole’s point of view.
There are some good covers. Karma from Jo Jo Siwa, and Paige regards this as the origins of Gay Pop.
Is Little Richards Tutti Frutti the origins of Gay Rock’n’roll?
She does a great version of Demi Lovato and Joe Jonas This Is Me. Romantic Pop, and this is called Camp Rock from the stage.
G Flip emphasises this with Gay 4 Me, a Power Pop song with heavy guitar riffing.
Just prior, they have done a crowd walk through the floor and up to the mezzanine. Great showmanship.
Which sets up the encore, a doubled-up right hand lead of Cruel Summer and Worst Person Alive.
Raging songs with incendiary drum fire power.
Rev. Orange Peel
Photography by Leonie Moreland
G Flip
Paige Tapara