On Wednesday night girl in red performed an incredible set, one that certainly qualified as a once-in-a-lifetime show for many punters – all of whom were captivated if not blown away for the entirety of the wildly intimate yet wholly energetic performance.
girl in red’s frontwoman Marie Ulven Ringheim is a Norwegian-based singer-songwriter who writes deeply honest and personal songs – songs that are so relatable and catchy that she has catapulted into the echelon of the new great LGBTQ+ hero.
Ringheim and her touring compadres have become one of the world’s largest indie rock acts, comparable to the likes of TV Girl, Pheobe Bridgers and Mitski. girl in red recently released her sophomore album I’M DOING IT AGAIN BABY which garnered critical success for the Norwegian artist and further excelled her stardom.
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The night started with tie-wearing fans running to their spot on the floor and taking their seats as the Melbourne-based opener Telenova started their unbelievable opening set.
Drifting onto the stage and performing the beautifully performed opening track Why Do I Keep You?, frontwoman, songwriter and filmmaker Angeline Armstrong kept in constant interaction with the audience while sounding ridiculously beautiful. Telenova will release their first album on August 16 and are an absolute must-listen and a must-see.
Once Telenova’s set was up, there was palpable excitement in the crowd as they awaited the main event. girl in red’s bandmates walked on stage before Ringheim herself joined them in front of a huge screen before jumping into the title track of her brand-new album.
Tearing up the stage around her, Marie hooked the audience into the set by creating a grounded yet frenetic energy on stage, unlike any performer I’ve encountered before. The energy just kept building through moments such as a fan throwing an “I love Melbourne” t-shirt on stage scrawled with messages from many in the pit. Ringheim noticed this and proceeded to take off her suit jacket and shirt and put on the fans’ gift. Moments like this only added to the fun.
I stood in the photo pit and gave myself a moment to look at the fans. I could genuinely see how much history each person had with her music – each song brought up memories and stories, and the impact of her music rippled through the room. Emotions were high. Witnessing pride flags held high and lyrics being screamed back to the band was a truly beautiful sight.
The final song of the night, ‘I wanna be your girlfriend’ had Marie open the pit up and in a flash she got among it sans security. When the chorus hit, the whole audience moved towards her. This was chaotic and intense but also authentic and connected. In a world where artists constantly surround themselves with security, a stunt like this is breathtaking and harks to this artist’s desire to make their pit a safe and welcoming environment.
When I see a performance, I tend to enjoy hearing an artist’s sound on stage compared to their recordings, and I have to say that girl in red’s performance was perhaps the greatest-sounding show I’ve attended. At points in the show, I was genuinely starstruck at how mindbogglingly incredible Marie Ulven Ringheim sounds – I wondered if she was lip-synching, before I slapped myself back into reality, the reality being, she was just so damn good.
girl in red is unique. From her vocals to her connection to fans and her genuine personality, she has it all. She has toured Australia two times in two years, rare for an international act, and it speaks volumes about the loyalty of Australian fans. If she goes for a third year in a row for a tour, definitely check her out in concert. I know I certainly will.
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