On a cold evening in Fitzroy, Laundry Bar was buzzing for an unforgettable sold-out performance by girli; the English pop sensation known for her bold queer anthems and celebrations of diversity and self-expression.
Kicking off the night were Brisbane pop duo JUNO, who have had a great deal of success over the past few years supporting huge Australian and International acts including Peking Duk, Caity Baiser and Anna of the North. The crowd brought the same energy to the support set as the headliner, dancing and signing to all the tracks on their setlist. Our favourite moments included come thru and take a picture, both about the struggles of bad relationships, as well as moonboy about putting partners on pedestals. bleach was well received as a more rockier Avril Lavigne-inspired track, and the cover of Chappell Roan’s Red Wine Supernova won the crowd over. Closing song i’m the man about taking back your power showcased Kahlia Ferguson’s incredible vocal range and set a high bar for the night ahead.
Before long, it was time for girli’s first Melbourne headline show to commence. The crowd was excited as ever, and ready to celebrate queer pop with one of their favourite breakthrough artists. Marvelling at the stage design, which was a vibrant homage to her upcoming album Matriarchy, Girli had picture frames and scenes from her music videos, fan art across the stage, and tiles depicting queer historical figures over time. The performance itself was a vivid display of talent and authenticity, capturing the essence of her music while creating an inclusive space for her audience. Opening tracks Nothing Hurts Like A Girl and I Don’t Like Myself had the audience singing at the top of their lungs, showing the artist they had come to party. Acknowledging the immediate love from the audience, girli took the time to say hello, introduce the band, and hype up the crowd saying, ‘We’ve travelled from England to play some fun gay pop songs for you’ as they launched into Not That Girl.
Talking directly about writing songs with the queer experience in mind, as well as celebrating queer joy, we hear Crush Me Up, Girl I Met On The Internet and Be With Me – a song about falling in love with yourself. Friday Night Big Screen got the loudest audience reaction bringing the energy up higher than we thought possible. Taking a moment to take it all in, girl told the adoring audience just how crazy it is that songs she wrote in London about her personal experiences have connected so meaningfully with an audience the furthest she’s travelled to in the world. The night was as special for the fans as it was to the artist herself. Acknowledging the biggest crowds they’ve had all tour, we hear Out of Breath, Imposter Syndrome and the high-energy Hot Mess.
The heels came off for the closing part of the main set with I Really F**ked Up and unreleased track Day Month Second leading into popular song Letter to my Ex. During the encore, girli tells us she’s half Australian (passport and all) and says, ‘This is the first ever time I’ve done a headline tour in Australia. It won’t be the last – you know I’ll be back’. Closing out on the song that made all this possible with the universally connecting More Than A Friend, the final song Matriarchy written about queer sex being about love, joy and the act of rebellion to the patriarchy leaves us as a high as we wait for her eventual return.