Words by Kate Lockyer
Photography by Paul Blackburn // @wysiwyg_pix – VIEW FULL GALLERY HERE
Spilt Milk House Party on the Gold Coast this weekend brought nothing but the best and (let’s face it) thirstiest of vibes to Broadbeach Parklands. Steamy sets from Troye Sivan and the rockstar that is G Flip, both of whom just took out a stack of accolades at the ARIAS, had everyone up on their feet, and Glass Animals closed off the party with their interstellar ‘Tour of Earth’ set that sent Heat Waves through the gathered group. We also heard from TikTok sensation Artemas and Brissie darling Sycco, with beats from Gold Coast DJ Bill Durry keeping the vibes flowing between sets. Durry kicked off the festival as people flowed through the gates, ready for an afternoon of revelry with some world-class acts.
Sycco played a great set, with plenty of tracks from her debut album ‘Zorb’, released earlier this year. First up was Buttered Up, matching her buttery yellow guitar, with fun synths and a catchy vocal line that showcased her suave stylings. Swarm was a whimsical, sweet song, reminiscing about a past love, and the screen behind her on stage mirrored this nostalgic feeling with a close up of Sycco in a retro pink and blue wash. She took a moment to admit she was nervous, and her stage presence did feel like she was holding back a little, but nonetheless she nailed her delivery musically. She jumped off the guitar and onto the mic for the higher energy Meant To Be, eliciting cheers from the audience and dancing across the stage, timing her kicks with the drums and guitars. Touching and Talking featured smooth falsetto, evoking the addictive sensations Sycco was singing about, and a syncopated section was easy to groove to. “We’re gonna play a kinda crazy one that’s on the album, it’s about giving up I guess,” she said. Then she launched into The End, with the vocal effects on her mic making her voice seem like it was floating, matching the disconnect described in the song. Dribble, a breakout track from 2020, engaged the crowd with its trumpet-like synth, and she played the guitar licks with a flourish. Then Ripple brought rippling synth and ripples of energy through the audience, as Sycco coasted across the stage, singing her heart out and calling out, “Let’s go crazy, it’s Saturday!” She ended on an energetic note with Monkey Mad, spitting out the fast-paced lyrics over thumping drums and bouncing around the stage, leaving everyone pumped already by 5pm in the afternoon.
With his black clothes and black sunnies, Artemas brought the cool calm and collected vibe to the party that had us all keen to see what was coming next. Thundery synth vibrated through the parklands before he launched into ur special to me. Flipping between falsetto and his deeper register, he seemed to channel something primal in his voice, revealing that beneath the cool exterior, he wanted to share what’s really going on. Taking his sunnies off for caroline, a song that encourages the song’s character Caroline to “break up with your girl”, I wonder that he perhaps hasn’t quite clocked what his ideal audience for this track should be. While it might have had an ear-wormy repetitive chorus, considering there was a whole swathe of queer people there for G Flip and Troye, I’m thinking they might not actually be too keen on some straight man telling them he could do it better. Just saying… Next, you’ve been a bad girl was similarly unapologetically thirsty.
cross my heart seemed to get back to some genuine feelings, Artemas singing, “cross my heart and hope that when I die / It’s with you baby”, even if it is him hoping for the continuation of a toxic relationship he likens to “drugs and Absolut”. Minimal instrumental, mostly just some quiet percussion, put all the focus on his tortured lyrics. You Were a Dream was similarly realistic about his feelings, and he held his microphone like he was clutching his last bit of self-respect to sing “Can’t you tell I’m desperate, can’t you tell I’m cheap? / You don’t gotta love me, we don’t have to speak”. His voice was soft, begging for attention.
Artemas paused to say, “Alright, what a fucking party, and I’m honoured to be invited!” Then, we got how could u love somebody like me?, which I could only describe as an F-boy anthem. See: “Tryna be cold, but it’s making you weak / I couldn’t hurt somebody so sweet / But it’s turning me on just watching you leave”. Just like an F-boy, he looked so slick and self-aware as he sang such ‘gaslighter material’, that you almost can’t help but buy into it. His songs are exposed and demanding, pillow talk. if u think i’m pretty reversed things though, deciding that even though they are bad for him, if they think he’s pretty, he’s down. dirty little secret and his final song of the afternoon, viral track i like the way you kiss me, were both about the same thing – no strings attached moments of fun, and the theme of trying to stay detached. With over a billion streams on Spotify, he must be doing something right!
My personal highlight of the night (although Troye and Glass Animals were utterly fantastic – more on that soon) was absolutely G Flip. WHAT a rocker! I’ve had ‘DRUMMER’ on play all year and have been looking forward to seeing them live – and they did not disappoint. They came out onstage for Get Me Outta Here with a drum solo to start off, in pants that read ‘Drummer’ across the legs, and a cowboy hat with flames on the sides. The song was a bit punk, in timbre as well as attitude, as compared to their usual pop-rock style, with fuzzy guitar, a great guitar solo, and an emphatic chorus that went, “Get me outta here / I got no fucks to give”. The audience was hanging on their every word and every move, as they would be for G Flip’s whole time on stage. Then they introduce themself: “I’m G Flip, I use they/them pronouns, and I’m a big lesbian.” The crowd erupted with cheers.
Hyperfine was next on the list, with its inescapably great melody, relatable lyrics (everyone can share the frustration of someone not saying how they really feel) and G Flip’s ability to get us clapping along enthusiastically at the first suggestion. Lyrics from the chorus were belted in their husky tone, which lended at the same time an earnestness and an edginess to their voice. Didn’t Mean To showed more of their ownership of the stage, as they grooved to “Why did I let you go” and strutted across the stage, completely self-possessed.
As the stage crew brought out a row of large drums, G Flip addressed us. “You’re in for a fucking hot and sexy night,” they said. Correct. After asking us, and establishing that there were no Schoolies in the crowd, they mentioned, “My plane was just full of kids getting ready to smoosh their brains out.” But back to the hot and sexy night of entertainment.
Rough featured G Flip and the band rhythmically living up to the album title (and the pants) on the row of drums during the chorus. They also did some solo drumming, throwing up a stick and catching it to more cheers from the crowd. Then, dramatic guitar and flashes of light as they grabbed an LGBTQIA+ flag and brandished it, posing in freeze frame at the end of the song. As the first beats of the next song began, they let go of the flag and stepped forward to sing GAY 4 ME. G Flip absolutely oozed seductiveness as they sang. For the chorus, they picked up the flag again and traversed the stage with massive energy, which only continued for Drink Too Much, and they jumped down to the barricade to interact with the crowd. They riled the crowd up to sing along to “I just wanna get into trouble / I wanna be out til lunch / My last girl she dumped me / Cause I would drink too much”. “I want you to fucking scream it so Troye can hear,” they said. And scream along they did.
Then, the stage went black, and soft lighting focused on G Flip, who swapped the hat for a black bandana, as they said, “This next song is a more emotional song, it goes out to anyone who feels like they are not good enough”. They sang the start of Good Enough, from “Then you, then you made me feel me again”, standing still, with arms wide open which created a powerful stillness that made space for the emotion of the song. And then, of course, because it’s G Flip, the pace picked up for second verse, with red, white and black flashing lights. The last few lines, “Good enough for you”, repeated, were sung standing on the drum platform, and they really dug deep to belt those final words.
Real Life again exhibited how at home on the stage they were, and we ate up every second of this banger. G Flip then introduced Be Your Man with the love story they have with their wife (American TV star Chrishell Stause). “We started falling in love a couple years ago”, they said, flirting, and making out it her pantry. The song highlighted the sweetness and the complication of their feelings for someone, especially when choosing to be with them meant completely rethinking their life. There was plenty of singing along in the chorus, and at one point near the end of the song, the music died down and G Flip raised their arms, bringing forth cheers from the audience. They continued toying with us then, quietening us with lowered arms before raising them again, lowering them, showing a mastery of the crowd á la Freddie Mercury at Live Aid. Then, the launched back into the song with a belted, held note on “I understand” and solos from the band’s guitarists, who all concluded the song by gathering around the drummer and playing right to him.
G Flip then got behind the drums again for their Triple J Like A Version of Taylor Swift‘s Cruel Summer. They did a stint in the middle of the song back out in front of the audience, wagging their finger at us, grabbing their hat and moving their hips teasingly, before getting us clapping and jumping on the drums to drum and sing for the last chorus. Much has been made of their ability to do those things simultaneously, and seeing it live really brings it home how skilled they are. With a thank you to the crowd for their support and for the recent ARIA win for The Worst Person Alive as song of the year, and an exhortation to vote for Cruel Summer in the upcoming Hottest 100, they start their final song for the night. The Worst Person Alive is an electric end to an electric set and I can’t wait to see their next performance.
Before we get Troye Sivan, we get his incredible dancers. They emerge to throbbing, bassy synth and stand in formation, before the principal dancer began to move. Troye emerged in a red light and black leather vest to sing, with his silky-smooth style, Got Me Started. It does what it says on the tin – I love the choice of sample in this track, Bag Raiders’ Shooting Stars, which is sure to get you started. A memorable pose mimicking fellatio as one of the dancers held his mic out from his hips, Troye kneeling in front of him, sent the crowd wild. There was plenty of grinding throughout his set, and it started right in the very first song.
My My My! began with stillness, Troye posing as music pulsed like a beating heart, in time with pulsing red lights, suited to the sensual lyrics. As the chorus hit, the dancers simulated marching and saluting, perhaps riffing on the wording of “I die every night with you”. Just before the end of the song, Troye ran offstage, singing the final line side stage. We soon learned where he had to go as a bed with silky silver sheets was brought onstage, and dancers trickled back on, getting up close and personal as lovers do at night. Troye emerged in a sparkly, sheer white pants and shirt set, and his iconic cap look, and lounged on the bed as he sang In My Room, suggestively lying on the bed and interacting with the dancers – there was practically steam rising from the stage.
“Is anyone hurting?” he asked, as the stage turned black with white lights tracing a circular line around the edges of the stage. Standing on the bed, he sang, “We can just dance to this / Don’t take much to start me”. More risqué dancing (hip thrusting) ensued, and the mosh was down for it.
Another question to the crowd: “Are there any gay people here?” The cheers answered that question in the affirmative. “This one’s for you”. Getting on all fours as he crooned the words to Bloom into the mic, things managed to get steamier again. It’s got to be the sexiest that anyone has managed to make the request, “Take a trip into my garden / I’ve got so much to show ya”. He dashed off again for another quick change, and we got a video intro to One of Your Girls, with Troye on the screen in drag, answering a phone call and promising to come over, to the excitement of the crowd. The song began with him straddling a chair in a tasselled black shirt, then dancing burlesque-style around it. The chorus saw one of his dancers seated in the chair, and Troye dancing on him, while the end of the song saw him and his dancers lined up along a bar with more sultry moves.
He changed into a white shirt with glow-in-the-dark yellow and pink on it, and under the lights he was iridescent aesthetically and musically. STUD was introspective and gave us a moment to catch our breaths, still playing on the themes of identity and how to be deemed attractive. Then the pace picked up with Silly, which had Troye saying, “Gold Coast, let’s turn this place into a fucking club!” and boy did we. “I can smell poppers but I haven’t even played Rush yet,” he joked. With a nod to his just-completed ‘Sweat’ tour with Charli XCX, he said, “Charli’s not here, but you’re gonna be my Charli,” before performing 1999 which continued the club vibes. Alone onstage once more, he continued with another Charli collab, Talk Talk. A dancer strode onstage and they danced together, before the beat dropped and they all joined the performance, turning the stage to a dancefloor.
Orange and yellow lighting backlit Troye’s next track Honey as he came out with another outfit, a bedazzled crotch revealed by cutout black pants, and he and the rest of the dancers fitted out in cowboy hats complete with corks dangling from the brims. Honey was a feelgood song about real love that had us all partying along. With heel to toe tapping from him and his dancers, it was the campest line dancing I’ve ever seen. I have to take a moment to acknowledge how thrilling and polished the choreo was for the whole set – and they put their all into it. Rush concluded the night with the crowd singing along to every word, full of energy and complete with a snog between Troye and one of his dancers.
Glass Animals, the final act of the night, started off with a well-themed intro. The Star Wars theme song emanated from the speakers and smoke drifted across a green-lit stage. Tokyo Drifting was a fun track to start out on, with Denzel Curry‘s face appearing onscreen for the rap. “Let’s do a little dancing, alright!” Vocalist and guitarist Dave Bayley said, and they played Your Love (Déjà Vu), which had a groovy synth riff that he spun around the stage to, wearing his sparkly black shirt. A little growl in his voice as he sang, “Don’t you want some more / ‘Cause I can feel your love” painted a picture of his desperate longing for this person who only offers a “temporary touch”.
Their 2024 release Wonderful Nothing was quite cinematic, with eerie strings and choir that started off the song slow, the band lit up in green light that made them seem like they were glowing green. It slowly crescendo-ed as the frustration in the lyrics grew along with buzzy synth, seemingly an indictment on the obliviousness of society. A Tear In Space (Airlock) continued the X-Files vibes, with an undeniable chorus that is easy to sing along to – “Water, running down my face / Water, running different ways / Water, like a billion waves / Water, like a tear in space”. A purple, sparkly backdrop, with the live video stream of the band onstage presented as a washed-out vignette, definitely made you imagine being out in the cosmos somewhere. It seemed to capture the idea that love is at the same time all consuming and also insignificant.
The Other Side Of Paradise, an old favourite about chasing a pipe dream and the trappings of fame and fortune, continued the countercultural themes in their set. There is something about the tones in Bayley’s voice, alongside the well-chosen vocal effects, that is almost addictive. Then we got something a little less cynical, Creatures in Heaven, a really beautiful song about love off their latest album ‘I Love You So F***ing Much’. My favourite line was about the words I love you: “Such small words but they hit so huge”. A fun moment cropped up in this song, as Bayley picked up a pink tasselled hat from someone in the audience, saying, “I promise I’ll give it back, I just need for a particular lyric”. As he sang “so long cowboy”, he doffed the hat, and at the end of the song, threw it back, the person apparently catching it as cheers went up at the throw.
Gooey also fit in with the whimsical ‘Tour of Earth’ vibes, Bayley pulling out spirit fingers at the echoey, spacey synth at the start of the song. When they got to the line, “I can’t take this place / I just wanna go where I can get some space”, the audience sang along with all their might. By the end of the song, Bayley was rhythmically waving his guitar around, held up high – more whimsy. Somehow, I didn’t quite catch it, he ended up with an actual pineapple in his hand for Pork Soda, which found relevance with the line – “Pineapples are in my head”. The light touch on percussion with the surrealist lyrics were a delight to groove to. They played an instrumental interlude so Bayley could acknowledge Ed Irwin-Singer, “the birthday boy on the bass” (earlier he noted it was his birthday and joked he had just turned 12), Drew McFarlane on guitar and keys, and Joe Seaward on the drums. A guitar solo and a build in the music to a final chorus finished off the song.
Heat Waves brought an end to the night, with plenty of singing along to this iconic track that led to tattoos of Australia (I’ll let you google where these tatts were located) for Bayley and McFarlane after they won Triple J‘s Hottest 100 in 2020. They hyped the audience up to sing even louder as the song drew to a close, and thanked the audience for turning out. No, thank you Glass Animals for a fantastic night. We Love You So F***ing Much.
With thanks to Thinking Loud
