Monday,
October 27, 2003 11:11 GMT
The Flaming Lips - review |
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| Wayne
Coyne |
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Psychedelic
surrealistic popsters, The Flaming Lips touched down in Bournemouth
on their UK tour. BBC Southampton's Stephen Stafford took
a trip to the zoo... |
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The first
signs that this wasn't going to be your average gig was when lead
singer Wayne Coyne wandered on stage to help the roadies set the gear
up and adjust his 'mic-cam' attached to the end of his microphone.
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| Michael
Ivins and friends |
He was
greeted with adulation from the devotees. I got chatting to an American
fan called Andy - amazingly from from the Lips' home town in Oklahoma
(his girlfriend does live in London - even Flaming Lips fans aren't
quite that devoted!)
Andy had just finished telling me about the Flaming Lips' transition
from the Oklahoma underground scene when I was struck a glancing blow
from an industrial strength giant balloon.
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| The
view from Wayne's mic-cam |
Maybe it was the concussion but when I came to, the stage was filled
with dancing, torch-waving rabbits, dolphins, chickens, tigers, pandas,
ducks, large round orange things and I was covered in confetti - this
was the crazy glitterball-lit world of the Flaming Lips.
More
pictures from the Flaming Lips' gig on our Music Super-Gallery
On stage, there was hardly room to swing a dolphin (so it shimmied
and danced a bit instead). The band were all in animal suits with
Wayne preferring a crumpled dapper pink number.
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| Flaming
Lips Groupies |
They were
already halfway through Race for the Prize - the opening track from
The
Soft Bulletin - the band's hugely acclaimed 1999 album in which they
fused their years of experimental urges with their new pop instincts.
It was a heady mix of psychedelic colours, techno rock, garage and
70s American country all pulled together by Wayne's rasping vocals
and stunning syncopated video - perfect for early hours in a tent
at a festival, but the BIC was an ample substitute.
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| The
Flaming Lips |
Add
to that Japanese Anime sci-fi cartoon concept of their latest anthem
- Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
and Wayne (with the help of his Yoshimi glove puppet) finally had
the audience singing in adoration of the Japanese lady who saved
the planet from the nasty pink machines.
More marvelously crafted, swirling, orchestral tracks followed -
including Test Flight, The Spark that Bled and In the Morning of
the Magicians. Wayne poured more fake blood onto his head (and explained
that it was definitely fake blood, just incase we were worried).
The Flaming
Lips' fame has risen to new heights over the last few months with
their collaboration with The Chemical Brothers and the pulsing dance
track, The Golden Path even got the pandas dancing.
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| Spot
the ball! |
It was
apparent that Flaming Lips gigs are one big party - no more so than
when we all sang happy birthday to Katy, Tom, Nicky, Merydith and
Lesley.
With
the giant balloons still bouncing around, they rounded off with Do
You Realize?? and Waitin' for a Superman in tribute to songwriter
Elliot
Smith, who the band had worked with and who's suicide had been announced
earlier in the week. It all fitted in with the 'love each other' glow
and chill out aura the guys oozed.
We left to the strains of Louis Armstrong's Wonderful World. The world
of the Flaming Lips is pretty wonderful - just not quite sure what
colour the sky is in it!
What did you
think of the Flaming Lips at the BIC? Have your say on our Music Message
Board.
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BBC Southampton Website
Broadcasting House,
Havelock Road,
Southampton
SO14 7PU
(+44) 023 80 374370/1/2
southampton@bbc.co.uk
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