Dream Ride: G Flip Concert Review

We’re topping off our week of concerts with a return to Riverstage to see adored Aussie artist G Flip at their Dream Ride tour. Tonight will see G Flip take to the luscious open-air venue for their biggest headline show to date! To celebrate, they’ve invited Canadian rock band, The Beaches, to join them, with Aussie actress and singer Ayesha Madon opening the show. We’re in for a treat tonight, as G Flip’s shows always have something mind-blowing in store, so I’m already awaiting in suspense for tonight!

This is what happened at G Flip’s Dream Ride tour at the Riverstage on February 27^th, 2025.

AYESHA MADON

As the clock struck six, Ayesha Madon took to the stage with her two bandmates, who were decked out in snazzy suits and sunglasses while Madon announced her arrival with a triumphant scream of, “What’s up, Brisbane?!” She was enthusiastic and bubbly from the get-go, jumping straight into Eulogy. Madon’s vocals are silky and sweet, flowing nicely over her lyrics. She’s got the feeling of a classic pop star on-stage, with a confident and energetic stage presence tempered by a sweet nature. Songs like Jonestown stand up for their punchy vocals and edgier beats. Her music is exciting, with a dreamy quality, bringing a unique spark to the girl-pop genre that I’m excited to continue dancing to after having seen her tonight!

Fave song: Supervision

G FLIP

After a fantastic set from The Beaches, the crowd was only too eager to see G Flip take to the stage. At the back of the stage, electric pink soundwaves began to illuminate the latest of Flip’s iconic drumkits, this one bearing the same bright 80s pop pink colour and lighting up with lyrics and iconography from the show. As the lights went up, the band emerged on stage, with Flip popping up from behind the drumkit with the opening lyrics of Disco Cowgirl, barely audible over the screaming fans. Hearing G Flip’s vocals live, sounding as perfect as they are in the recorded tracks of their latest album, Dream Ride.

I haven’t seen G Flip since their packed show at The Tivoli on the Drummer tour, and things have only gotten bigger and better since then. But, of course, G Flip has crafted a few inescapable songs that deserve their limelight still, if not at least an homage! They tore up the stage with Gay 4 Me, the sultry song with its hard-hitting rock beats winding the audience up into a frenzy. It was nicely juxtaposed by nostalgia-inducing party anthem I Don’t Wanna Regret, with its snazzy

saxophone melody.

With three albums of bangers, it must be hard to choose what makes the cut and what gets left off the list for the tour. G Flip’s solution is to wrap a few of them up into medleys, creating smooth transitions and looping sonic pathways as their songs interlink. Our first hint of this came when the singer jumped down to the barricade, making their way along the front of the crowd during the first verse and chorus of Drink Too Much. The transitions between Real Life and Hyperfine were a real treat, before they stripped things back with a heartfelt rendition of Good Enough, taking to the front of the runway with a guitar, in darkness set against a stormy night on-stage.

G Flip is confident on stage, able to dip into the sentimental and vulnerable moments without lowering the energy in the crowd. They jumped on the drumkit for one of my favourite songs to see performed live, Rough. It’s an epic acknowledgement of G’s origins as a drummer, before they became renowned for their singer and songwriter in addition to that. If you’ve never been to a G Flip show before, that song alone should be enough to satisfy anyone in the crowd! We were met next with Big Ol’ Hammer, an exciting addition to the show from Dream Ride, and definitely a future staple!

G Flip took a pause from their material for a moment, surprising nobody with their cover of Taylor Swift’s Cruel Summer, which is powerful live that I can’t wait to see how they top it in their next Like A Version! The moment that did leave the crowd completely stunned came next with the opening notes of Thelma Plum’s Better In Blak. I was really surprised to see Flip add a second cover to the set so soon, and blown out of the water when the gorgeous Thelma Plum appeared out of the wings to join G Flip (on drums) to perform her song! It was so sweet to be there and I count myself so lucky to have been there in person.

G Flip is not to be topped at their own show, however! Their second medley of the night was a beautiful and invigorating retrospective on the songs that saw G Flip’s initial rise – About You, Killing My Time, Bring Me Home, I Am Not Afraid, You + I, and Queen – and formed the majority of their first album, About Us. I would give anything to relive this moment, especially as it unfortunately, but appropriately, had to be interrupted at its crux to resolve a crowd safety issue. Flip’s management of the crowd was admirable, making sure that everyone was quiet and calm so the matter could be addressed quickly. It’s their attention to detail and the thorough planning that goes into their performance, with all the errant possibilities of crowd of nearly 10,000 enthusiastic fans, that highlights their commitment to making music and making it fun.

Having taken us to a quieter place, it felt like a good time to perform the emotional acoustic track Australia, followed by the soft and vulnerable Lover. On the theme of love, and finding a love worth fighting for, Flip followed this up with a dedication to their beautiful wife Chrishell, Be Your Man. After pouring out their heart and soul in this queer anthem, Flip invited their good friends, The Beaches, to debut their new collaboration, Lez Go, transporting us from the Riverstage to the surf and sand, as we tossed beach balls back and forth in the crowd during this incredible party! It was way too fun to be the last song in the set… which is why Bed On Fire had to take the fall for wrapping us up too soon!

It seemed like this stop on the Dream Ride had everything – definitely more than we had ever anticipated! But there was one thing we couldn’t leave without, and G Flip knew it of course! With explosive lights and drums signalling their return to the stage to really close out the set, we saw the (unofficial) winner of the Hottest 100 perform Worst Person Alive, alongside almost 10,000 fans singing along to every word! And, of course, we were given one last parting gift with In Another Life. Hopefully, we won’t be waiting another lifetime for G Flip’s next tour, but if we really have to it’ll still be worth it! For now, the Dream Ride continues through their next shows, through the album (in case you haven’t listened yet), and the musical memories made tonight!

Fave song: Rough

MERCH

Tonight, my new friend EJ gifted me a Dream Ride tour shirt! Thank you so much, EJ! :D

SOUNDS GOOD?

If you missed out seeing G Flip at their biggest headline show (to date!), you might want to get into some of these artists and keep an eye out for their next shows to get your fix at too!

Alex Lahey – This alt-rock singer-songwriter has always put on an amazing show, with loud heavy-hitting rock songs and honest lyrics in their music. If you like G Flip’s authentic approach to music, Alex Lahey is right up your alley!

Tones and I – If there’s one thing Tones and I knows, it’s how to create a memorable song. She has the ability to create music that is soaring and uplifting or dark and edgy, but always insightful.

MAY-A – MAY-A is about to embark on her Goodbye (If You Call That Gone) tour, bringing her debut album to venues across Australia. Her music has transformed from its bubbly pop origins, taking on a punk rock note with edgy instrumentals and the same flair for relatable writing!