As soon as G Flip announced that they would be playing Montreal, I knew I’d want to cover it for the audience vibes alone. Imagine my surprise and delight when Vienna Vienna was invited to open the show! Just as I keep track of who Louis Tomlinson signs, I pay even closer attention to who Pete Wentz signs. Standing at the corner of the haze of glitter that permeates the 80s and a punk show in your friend’s mom’s basement is Vienna Vienna. A surprisingly tall force of nature, he sings smoother than your first cup of coffee in the morning. His music makes me nostalgic in the same way Suburbia by Troye Sivan makes me a little homesick. The same ice-cold realization that no matter how you move, you’ll never quite fit in the way the suburbs and religion want you to. Grappling that feeling with how far you’ve come and how you can never really fit back in, is the vibe he sets the stage with.
This is the second show in a row I’ve covered where the opener has had some technical problems but it meant that the crowd at Le Studio TD was treated to an ultra acoustic rendition of God Save The Queens done with zero instruments just the crowd clapping out the beat with Vienna Vienna’s vocals over top of it. It was honestly mesmerising to witness. If it had been a bigger venue I don’t think it would have worked but I hope that this opener malfunction stops before I get to Warped Tour.
As a side note I was thrilled to get the last medium “God Save The Fags” t-shirt at Vienna Vienna’s merch booth but I had to put it on hold because they couldn’t take card payments. With so many venues going cashless I very rarely have that much cash kicking around in my wallet. I don’t know who is booking these American musicians and telling them that it’s fine if their square doesn’t work because they can use Venmo and PayPal, when most of the Canadian population doesn’t have those accounts. It’s WILD to witness. I’m worried it will affect Canadian tour dates if these artists aren’t able to make the same money at the merch booths in Canada vs. the states.
I am always determined to support the artists I enjoy especially if people aren’t able to purchase anything exclusively due to not having a way to hand the money over. Because I need artists to keep coming across the border. I am also eternally grateful for the copious amount of smokers in Montreal for allowing me to realize I’d need cash and be able to duck out of the venue, hustle to the bank, retrieve 50 Canadian dollars, hustle back to the venue, re-enter with a smile and then purchase the merch slightly out of breath with 10 minutes to spare before Vienna Vienna took the stage.
G Flip’s music sounds like the 2010s exploded all over the lyrics. Part tumblr lyrics part pop radio streaming in like sunshine, their lyrics sound like my middle school notes app come to life. I appreciate when an artist lays it all out there and isn’t afraid of being cliché. Alongside vocals and drumming, they can also play piano, saxophone, guitar and bass which is quite an arsenal. At one point there were three drummers; G, their bassist and one of their guitarists. They play a fantastic live show and their energy and passion for performing is electric! I would argue that G has embraced the cringe of being disgustingly in love and I love how they sing about it.
Their crowd leans slightly older and it was very nice not to be jostled about like a ping pong ball. It was also delightful to see so many couples dancing with each other. Riled up but not rowdy is a very thin line to balance on but they did it with ease, reminding us to love and take care of each other. G Flip plays a very short and sweet setlist. Coming in at just 14 songs I was on my way home to a cushy bedtime instead of playing a saw trap with the city’s noise ordinance limits and my ability to stay awake. I was devastated that I didn’t get to hear my favourite G Flip song Big Ol’ Hammer live (especially since G has kept their cover of Taylor Swift’s Cruel Summer on the setlist) but hey I did get to hear Disco Cowgirl this time around! It’s also super cool to see an artist play at the same venue a few years apart (May 2024 vs. August 2026). They have grown significantly in their showmanship and the confidence in themselves really shines through now and it’s beautiful to see!
Although it begrudges me to say, Off Campus really is shoving a lot of great artists into the spotlight, including a frankly impressive amount of queer artists, and the momentum seems to be carrying. I guess the saying is true, all press is good press. And standing in a room full of joy and kindness, after being offered a drink from a group of strangers who adopted me for the night, and watching a tiny blonde person who came to Montreal all the way from Australia riding around the room on a fan’s shoulders while I can see tear tracks through the rainbows on people’s cheeks, I have decided to be less of a curmudgeon. And I definitely enjoyed myself at the Vienna Vienna and G Flip concert at Le Studio TD on August 7th.
Review & Photos by Ashtyn Turner
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