The Flaming Lips - London Hammersmith Apollo - 14/11/06
5/5
By: Matt Tomiak
Giant blue balloons bobbing around the crowd. Confetti cannons being fired into the air. A stage manager dressed up as Captain America. Dazzling green lazer beams. An eight foot tall plastic Santa dancing in the wings. A marvellously moustachioed town crier who introduces the band by declaring 'May God smite George Bush and his cronies!' Oh, and singer Wayne Coyne entering the stage in a giant transparent beach ball before walking over the crowd's upheld hands. Welcome, ladies and gentleman to the truly glorious technicolour spectacle that is The Flaming Lips live experience.
'That was a f***ing GREAT intro!' beams Coyne after opener 'Race For The Prize.' He's not wrong. The wonderful, Prince- mimicking funk stomper 'Free Radicals' follows, and then a grin-inducing 'Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots' has everyone singing along. Sheesh, if this gig had ended after the first three songs, it's unlikely anyone would have felt short-changed.
Protest music has a reputation for being joyless, sanctimonious and often terribly worthy. This is most assuredly not the case with The Flaming Lips. Daring us to identify with Dubya in the rabble-rousing 'The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song' and offering a timely call-to-arms on the lovely 'Fight Test', Coyne also salutes the Democratic successes in the recent US mid-term elections.
After thanking the Brits for embracing the Lips back in 1999/00 with the release of mainstream breakthrough LP 'The Soft Bulletin', a celestial 'Do You Realize???' and the lilting 'Waitin' For A Superman" bring down the curtain on a truly spellbinding evening. It's appropriate that The Flaming Lips stage crew are all dressed up as superheroes this evening: The Man of Steel's catchphrase 'Truth, Justice And The American Way' never seemed more applicable.
Your Feedback
Login to post your comment