The Flaming Lips at Flavet Field at the Uni of Florida

ukevents · Joined: 15 Dec 2003 Posts: 1941

Giant hands will crush you, just as badly as the robotic hands on the garbage truck defying the innocent recyclables, while picking up your s*** on the side of the road. Although massive, these hands were brilliantly over-sized and were as out of place as the pack of Santa Clauses on the side of the stage. This scene may sound oddly conflicting, however it is the setting of the Flaming Lips concert.

Lacking in stentorian might and cacophonic advances, the Flaming Lips subtly and sonically invaded the field. Of course there were moments of boisterous enthusiasm and good old fashioned “rocking out,” but it was more of a pleasant and euphoric experience. Streamers, confetti, and balloons inundated the crowd. Imagine playing in an aquarium, minus the water. It was a light ambience and colorful atmosphere.

The merits of nepotism were well demonstrated by the opening band, Stardeath and the White Dwarves, as the lead singer is the fortunate nephew of Mr. Wayne Coyne. They seemed unripe and sounded slightly awkward. The songs they played were experimental and all over the place. One song resembled Deep Purple, while the next sounded like a Beatles-esque ballad. Pick one style and stick to it, boys.

The Rapture was in much better form this time around than my last experience at the Cure-infested, Curiosa Festival. Rather than awaiting the Messiah, they made me want to face the rapture, or just simply flee the venue. However, with time comes more experience and they seemed to enjoy themselves. The audience was enthusiastic, and The Rapture played all “the hits” as a recompense of sorts.

Other than the 19 year -old Goth –moshers, crowd surfers, and spontaneous waves of cosmic lust, the kids waited in anticipation for another glimpse of their Messiah. Wayne Coyne finally came out- in THE BUBBLE! Yes, ladies and gentlemen, he rolled and tumbled and gazed upon us from his circular ledge, acting almost as a creepy guardian, turned cult leader. Expressing his surprise and encouragement towards the hospitality and warm welcome he received from the Florida crowds at previous shows, Coyne promised to dispel unflattering rumors against this state.

The Lips were paid $50,000 to play at the University of Florida, while the Rapture took home a miniscule compensation of $1,000. For me, this show wasn’t about the music, but rather the theatrics and visual aspect of such an unprecedented performance. Oh yeah, and they played all the album favorites too, just in case you were wondering.

As a running joke between myself and I, I prefer to call them the flaming shits, not out of criticism for their music, but to convey how the antics in their live show overshadow the songs. The songs seem delicate and innocent, while the show conveys a more imposing display of the band’s entertaining abilities. The performance alone garners a reputation of its own.

Putting on a good show takes a lot of energy and work. It was evident as Coyne and Co posed for pictures and regularly stood on the sidelines to watch the openers, that the Lips are passionate and in love with what they do. Less painful and more pleasant than gonorrhea, make it one of your priorities to see the Flaming Lips live before you die. Or they do.

Written by Julie Zerbib for UKEvents.net