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AFL viewers savagely ‘wake up’ Grand Final halftime show with non-binary singer G Flip and First Nations performers playing ‘bland’ covers: ‘You sign a $4.5 billion TV deal and we’re getting this?’
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The most diverse and progressive halftime show in the history of the AFL Grand Final has been labeled by viewers as “worse than Meatloaf’s disastrous performance in 2011.”
Australia’s First Nation performers took the spotlight on Saturday’s halftime show at the AFL Grand Final in Melbourne, but some disgruntled viewers called it a “wakeful” move designed to “tick boxes”.
While Australian rock band Goanna led the performance with their 1982 hit Solid Rock, they were joined by native artists including Christine Anu, Emma Donovan, Tasman Keith and William Barton.
The most diverse and progressive halftime show in the history of the AFL Grand Final has been devastated by viewers, with many calling it “wake up” and “cringe”
Indie rockers The Temper Trap also performed with native stars Budjerah and Ngaiire.
Adding more diversity to the halftime lineup was non-binary singer G Flip, who uses she/them pronouns and is currently dating American reality star Chrishell Stause from Netflix’s Selling Sunset.
G Flip opened the performance with a roaring drum solo, before returning later to release Jet’s Are You Gonna Be My Girl.
Christine Anu and Emma Donovan were then introduced with an incredible didgeridoo solo, which transitioned into Goanna’s Solid Rock.
More diversity to the halftime lineup was added by non-binary vocalist G Flip, who uses s/he pronouns and sang a drum solo before joining Jet’s Are You Gonna Be My Girl?
While many viewers were no doubt happy to see underrepresented minority groups taking center stage, others called it “wake up” and said the vocals weren’t up to par.
“That halftime show was pretty bad, it felt like they were trying to wake up. Is it me?’ one complained.
‘Terrible halftime show during the @AFL grand final. More about ticking off than entertainment! We get the lesson every day about it coming into sport,” another tweeted.
“This awakened halftime show was terrible. If you’re going to wake up, at least do good,’ one roared.
“AFL halftime entertainment is all about pushing Indigenous politics. The group is terrible. So predictable,” said another.
Earlier this month, the AFL renewed its domestic broadcast deals with pay-TV network Foxtel, free-to-air broadcaster Channel Seven and telecommunications company Telstra, with a seven-year contract worth a staggering AUS 4.5 billion.
It was quite a change from previous Grand Final halftime shows.
In 2021, alternative rock band Birds of Tokyo performed with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra.
Before that, Sheppard performed with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra.
The organizers have pulled out all the stops for the halftime show this year.
English pop legend Robbie Williams opened the Grand Final with a hair-raising set list of all of his greatest hits, as well as a cover of John Farnham’s The Voice.
He was later joined by Delta Goodrem for a duet of his song Kids.