The Night A DRUMMER Blew Us All Away
Photographs by Sara Regan (Elytssara)
It was a chilly Tuesday evening when the whole of Melbourne flocked to the Forum to see their beloved Melbournian GFlip perform. And boy, where do I even begin, last night was an absolute emotional roller coaster. From screaming the lyrics to hugging your friends nearby and crying out of awe, GFlip couldn’t have put on more of a perfect performance.
Arriving at the Forum, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect of the evening ahead, I knew GFlip appealed to quite a wide range of listeners, but anyone and everyone from young to old, straight to gay, quiet or loud, rocked up to sing along to their favourite artist perform.
To begin the evening, Triple J Unearthed High winner Jacotene graced the stage with her powerhouse voice. It was something I had never heard of before. At 17 years of age, Jacotene knew how to perform, work for a crowd, write music and most importantly take advantage of her vocal skills. With a set list of original and cover songs, the audience was wrapped around Jacotene's finger, entertained by her bubbly presence and in complete awe of her talent.
Then it was time, what we had all been waiting for. GFlip had always dreamed of headlining a show at The Forum so everyone was excited for what we knew to be a great night ahead.
As soon as G took the stage, the crowd was filled with an energy that I had never felt before, starting on the drums, GFlip serenaded us with a drumming ballad before performing some of their greatest hits.
We all knew that G was talented, but it was astounding to see how a song can be created from the base of a drum beat and then supported by instruments like the piano and guitar, not many musicians can tackle that skill and execute it just as well as GFlip can.
Their stage presence was like no other, their energy, love, passion and excitement were so clear from start to finish. Their ability to transition from drumming to playing the piano and guitar to running around on stage singing was astounding, everyone in the Forum was eager to see what G was about to do next.
A highlight of the evening was at the beginning of the show, only two songs in, the crowd chanted "GFlip" to show their admiration for the musician. Headlining their first Forum show amongst a crowd of family, friends and fans after releasing their sophomore album DRUMMER this month, was overwhelming for GFlip as they burst into tears. I felt quite honoured, like most of us there, to be celebrating such an achievement for GFlip.
Performing hits like Baked, Good Enough, Drink too Much, Gay 4 Me, Worst Person Alive and Get Me Outta Here, the audience was treated to all of their favourite songs. GFlip also performed a special track 'Australia' only available on their deluxe edition of DRUMMER which was also very special to witness.
I spent most of the following day trying to put into words just how great GFlip's show was, and I still am trying to sum it up. But let's just say I will be going again should the opportunity arise. Their talent is simply out of this world.
