THE FLAMING LIPS
Steve Lamacq Show,
BBC Radio 6,
Maida Vale Studios, London, England
May 23, 2013
Steve Lamacq Show,
BBC Radio 6,
Maida Vale Studios, London, England
May 23, 2013
Like
many fans I came to the Flaming Lips later in their career with the release of
their ninth album, ‘The Soft Bulletin’ in 1999. My
only previous recollection of the Lips was via their ‘hit’ single, She Don’t
Use Jelly that MTV rotated heavily throughout 1993.
The band celebrated their 30th anniversary in 2013. The digital radio station, BBC 6 Music invited them to celebrate their anniversary with a series of programmes dedicated to the group. Beginning on Sunday 19 May, they were featured on ‘Now Playing’ BBC 6 Music’s, weekly show that allowed fans via social media to create a playlist of songs by or related to that week’s chosen artist. Songs selected ranged from renowned Lips favourites like, Yoshimi and She Don’t Use Jelly through The Beach Boys, God Only Knows (covered previously by the Lips) to tracks by friends and followers, MGMT and Tame Impala.
A week later on Sunday 26 May, Wayne Coyne presented his own ‘6 Music Playlist’ that attempted to cover the band’s 30 year career in just 60 minutes, and also play the music that has influenced the band, such as tracks from Gavin Bryars, The Beatles, The Beastie Boys and Madonna!
Between those two dates they performed a special live set for Steve Lamacq’s show, at the BBC’s Maida Vale studios in London on Thursday 23 May. The show was streamed and broadcast on digital radio. Fortunately for us a pre-broadcast source in FLAC was made available and circulated over the net. The quality is stunning and it’s one of the best live shows I have in my collection from any band.
Steven Drozd talking to MTV a month before the show said:
“We’re supposed to do 10 songs of 30 years of the Flaming Lips for the BBC, we’ll likely play Bag Full Of Thoughts (the opening track on the Lips’ debut EP, last played in 1985), Love Yer Brain (another ’80s gem, brought back to their setlists in 2006 but not played since), Moth In The Incubator (a standout from their breakthrough 1993 album ‘Transmission from the Satellite Heart’), a rearranged version of ‘Zaireeka’s’ Riding To Work In The Year 2025 and an orchestral style version of ‘The Soft Bulletin’ live standard Race for the Prize).”
The band celebrated their 30th anniversary in 2013. The digital radio station, BBC 6 Music invited them to celebrate their anniversary with a series of programmes dedicated to the group. Beginning on Sunday 19 May, they were featured on ‘Now Playing’ BBC 6 Music’s, weekly show that allowed fans via social media to create a playlist of songs by or related to that week’s chosen artist. Songs selected ranged from renowned Lips favourites like, Yoshimi and She Don’t Use Jelly through The Beach Boys, God Only Knows (covered previously by the Lips) to tracks by friends and followers, MGMT and Tame Impala.
A week later on Sunday 26 May, Wayne Coyne presented his own ‘6 Music Playlist’ that attempted to cover the band’s 30 year career in just 60 minutes, and also play the music that has influenced the band, such as tracks from Gavin Bryars, The Beatles, The Beastie Boys and Madonna!
Between those two dates they performed a special live set for Steve Lamacq’s show, at the BBC’s Maida Vale studios in London on Thursday 23 May. The show was streamed and broadcast on digital radio. Fortunately for us a pre-broadcast source in FLAC was made available and circulated over the net. The quality is stunning and it’s one of the best live shows I have in my collection from any band.
Steven Drozd talking to MTV a month before the show said:
“We’re supposed to do 10 songs of 30 years of the Flaming Lips for the BBC, we’ll likely play Bag Full Of Thoughts (the opening track on the Lips’ debut EP, last played in 1985), Love Yer Brain (another ’80s gem, brought back to their setlists in 2006 but not played since), Moth In The Incubator (a standout from their breakthrough 1993 album ‘Transmission from the Satellite Heart’), a rearranged version of ‘Zaireeka’s’ Riding To Work In The Year 2025 and an orchestral style version of ‘The Soft Bulletin’ live standard Race for the Prize).”
Tim Jones reviewed the
show for Record Collector magazine, he wrote:
“The sextet led by metallic-suited Wayne Coyne put on a visual and aural blitz, presaged by the frontman’s rumination on his vocal struggles with flu. Despite that, he and his cohorts soared on a 12-song, over-run set of 80 minutes, from their early days, through the percussive romp of Race For The Prize, and the closing, clap along, guitar distortion stomp of The WAND.
The psych-out Bag Full Of Thoughts screams, fuzz guitar and syn-drums contrasted with a premiere bow for the acoustic guitar/ piano musing, You Have To Be Joking, while Moth In The Incubator, with pulsing glo-lighting and strobes, was followed by the nursery rhyme like, She Don’t Use Jelly. Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots Pt 1 saw out the broadcast, before the rousing discordance of new cut, The Terror, and cosmic sing along of Do You Realize?”
“The sextet led by metallic-suited Wayne Coyne put on a visual and aural blitz, presaged by the frontman’s rumination on his vocal struggles with flu. Despite that, he and his cohorts soared on a 12-song, over-run set of 80 minutes, from their early days, through the percussive romp of Race For The Prize, and the closing, clap along, guitar distortion stomp of The WAND.
The psych-out Bag Full Of Thoughts screams, fuzz guitar and syn-drums contrasted with a premiere bow for the acoustic guitar/ piano musing, You Have To Be Joking, while Moth In The Incubator, with pulsing glo-lighting and strobes, was followed by the nursery rhyme like, She Don’t Use Jelly. Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots Pt 1 saw out the broadcast, before the rousing discordance of new cut, The Terror, and cosmic sing along of Do You Realize?”
On the day following the
show, Darren Lee writing for The Quietus, was also captured by the appearance
and performance by the lead singer, Wayne Coyne:
“There’s a fine line to be trod between messianic space rock trailblazer and clapped-out acid casualty, and Wayne Coyne has frequently straddled it in his time fronting psychedelic rock eccentrics The Flaming Lips. Nevertheless, if he hasn’t escaped from three decades in the music industry entirely unscathed (at present he’s nursing the residual effects of a bout of flu, meaning his vocals sound reedier than usual), he’s certainly in better nick than a fair few of his contemporaries, radiating a rakish elegance on stage in his turquoise leather jacket and floral neck garland.”
With so many anniversaries, especially of classic albums, celebrated enthusiastically by the music industry. You can become a bit blasé about them but this one is especially well worth celebrating. Such a long period together by any band, especially one that has never split up, albeit shed more than a few members along the way, is certainly worth commemorating and the reviewer reflects on the passing of time, noting the ages of the audience.
“Many of the fans in the audience weren’t even born when the Oklahomans released their debut EP in 1984 – represented here by the full-throttle garage punk assault of Bag Full Of Thoughts. Love Yer Brain, from second album ‘Oh My Gawd!!!’ is an early prototype for the sort of cosmic meditation on the human condition with which The Flaming Lips were later to reap such acclaim (“so I guess I was right all along, reading Mad magazine,” the lyric ruefully concludes).
The mood turns unexpectedly poignant with elegiac ballad You Have to Be Joking, which is prefaced by Coyne’s despairing reflections upon the tornado that has ravaged the Lips’ hometown of Oklahoma City. After this sobering interlude, Moth In The Incubator showcases the band’s boundless sonic invention."
Between songs, Coyne shares anecdotes against a backdrop of foreboding synth riffs. The second half of the set is comprised of more familiar material. The review continues:
"After a reliably spine-tingling Do You Realize? we’re transported back to the present with the desolately beautiful title track from new album ‘The Terror’, with its Floydian flourishes, twitchy electronica and otherworldly dissonance. Many of the fans who were initially seduced by the accessible charms of ‘The Soft Bulletin’ and ‘Yoshimi’ will doubtless have been put off by the band’s recent leftfield lurch, and it has undoubtedly proved controversial. But, placed in the context of tonight’s dazzlingly eclectic and career-spanning set, it feels less like a retreat into obscurity than a necessary process of renewal. You don’t get to make it to thirty years in this business by resting on your laurels after all.”
“There’s a fine line to be trod between messianic space rock trailblazer and clapped-out acid casualty, and Wayne Coyne has frequently straddled it in his time fronting psychedelic rock eccentrics The Flaming Lips. Nevertheless, if he hasn’t escaped from three decades in the music industry entirely unscathed (at present he’s nursing the residual effects of a bout of flu, meaning his vocals sound reedier than usual), he’s certainly in better nick than a fair few of his contemporaries, radiating a rakish elegance on stage in his turquoise leather jacket and floral neck garland.”
With so many anniversaries, especially of classic albums, celebrated enthusiastically by the music industry. You can become a bit blasé about them but this one is especially well worth celebrating. Such a long period together by any band, especially one that has never split up, albeit shed more than a few members along the way, is certainly worth commemorating and the reviewer reflects on the passing of time, noting the ages of the audience.
“Many of the fans in the audience weren’t even born when the Oklahomans released their debut EP in 1984 – represented here by the full-throttle garage punk assault of Bag Full Of Thoughts. Love Yer Brain, from second album ‘Oh My Gawd!!!’ is an early prototype for the sort of cosmic meditation on the human condition with which The Flaming Lips were later to reap such acclaim (“so I guess I was right all along, reading Mad magazine,” the lyric ruefully concludes).
The mood turns unexpectedly poignant with elegiac ballad You Have to Be Joking, which is prefaced by Coyne’s despairing reflections upon the tornado that has ravaged the Lips’ hometown of Oklahoma City. After this sobering interlude, Moth In The Incubator showcases the band’s boundless sonic invention."
Between songs, Coyne shares anecdotes against a backdrop of foreboding synth riffs. The second half of the set is comprised of more familiar material. The review continues:
"After a reliably spine-tingling Do You Realize? we’re transported back to the present with the desolately beautiful title track from new album ‘The Terror’, with its Floydian flourishes, twitchy electronica and otherworldly dissonance. Many of the fans who were initially seduced by the accessible charms of ‘The Soft Bulletin’ and ‘Yoshimi’ will doubtless have been put off by the band’s recent leftfield lurch, and it has undoubtedly proved controversial. But, placed in the context of tonight’s dazzlingly eclectic and career-spanning set, it feels less like a retreat into obscurity than a necessary process of renewal. You don’t get to make it to thirty years in this business by resting on your laurels after all.”
Original Notes:
"Full quality download of the entire set sourced from the BBC master tape. Exceptional sound quality and setlist. Among the best live Lips audio recordings available.
The Flaming Lips gave one of their greatest radio performances in their history at this show. Fittingly, the program was a one-hour 30th anniversary Lips retrospective, including rare live performances of "Bag Full Of Thoughts" (first time since 1985), "Love Yer Brain" (second time since 2006), "Unconsciously Screamin'" (first time since 1996), "You Have To Be Joking" (third time since 1996), and "Moth In The Incubator" (first time since 1996)."
Setlist:
01. Intro by Steve Lamacq
02. Race For The Prize
03. Bag Full Of Thoughts
04. Love Yer Brain
05. Unconsciously Screamin'
06. You Have To Be Joking
07. Moth In The Incubator
08. She Don't Use Jelly
09. Riding To Work In The Year 2025
10. Waitin' For A Superman
11. Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots Pt. 1
12. The Terror
13. Do You Realize??
14. The W.A.N.D.
15. Wayne Coyne Interview by Steve Lamacq
Line Up:
Wayne Coyne
Michael Ivins
Steven Drozd
Kliph Scurlock
Derek Brown
Thanks to surfingelectrode for circulating the show.
LINK
WAYNE COYNE INTERVIEW
The Terror Tour ran from: March 9, 2013 to October 24, 2013
March 09 La Jolla CA - USA La Jolla Playhouse La Jolla Playhouse Gala
March 14 Austin TX - USA The Belmont South By Southwest
March 15 Austin TX - USA Auditorium Shores South By Southwest
March 29 Sao Paolo - Brazil Jockey Club de Sao Paulo Lollapalooza Brazil
April 03 New York NY - USA Ed Sullivan Theater Late Show With David Letterman
April 28 Kansas City MO - USA Sprint Center
April 29 Indianapolis IN - USA Egyptian Room at Old National Centre
April 30 Pittsburgh PA - USA CONSOL Energy Center
May 02 Atlanta GA - USA Aaron's Amphitheatre at Lakewood
May 03 Nashville TN - USA Bridgestone Arena
May 04 Chattanooga TN - USA Track 29
May 05 Memphis TN - USA Tom Lee Park Beale Street Music Festival
May 10 Napa CA - USA Napa Valley Expo Bottle Rock Festival
May 15 New York NY - USA GE Building At Rockefellar Plaza Late Night With Jimmy Fallon
May 16 Montclair NJ - USA Wellmont Theatre
May 17 Brooklyn NY - USA Prospect Park The Great GoogaMooga
May 20 London - England Roundhouse
May 21 London - England Roundhouse
May 22 Brighton - England Brighton Dome Concert Hall Brighton Festival
May 23 LONDON - ENGLAND BBC RADIO 6 MAIDA VALE STUDIO STEVE LAMACQ SHOW
May 24 Paris - France La Grande Halle De La Villette
May 25 Düdingen - Switzerland Bad Bonn Bad Bonn Kilbi
June 14 Hultsfred - Sweden
June 15 Aarhus - Denmark Northside Festival
July 11 Raleigh NC - USA Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek
July 12 Simpsonville SC - USA Charter Amphitheatre at Heritage Park
July 13 Louisville KY - USA Waterfront Park Forecastle Festival
July 15 Wallingford CT - USA Oakdale Theatre
July 16 Pittsburgh PA - USA Stage AE
July 17 Lewiston NY - USA Artpark
July 23 Oklahoma City OK - USA Chesapeake Energy Arena Rock For Oklahoma
July 25 Salt Lake City UT - USA Pioneer Park
July 27 Troutdale OR - USA Edgefield Amphitheater
July 28 Seattle WA - USA Pike Street Capitol Hill Block Party
July 30 Reno NV - USA Grand Sierra Resort and Casino
July 31 Costa Mesa CA - USA Pacific Amphitheatre OC Fair
Aug 01 Las Vegas NV - USA House of Blues Bud Light Music First 50-50-1
Aug 17 Omaha NE - USA Aksarben Village Maha Music Festival
Sep 06 Isle of Wight - England Robin Hill County Park Bestival
Sep 07 Stekene - Belgium Groeneputte Crammerock Festival
Sep 30 Boston MA - USA Agganis Arena
Oct 01 New York NY - USA Terminal 5
Oct 02 New York NY - USA Terminal 5
Oct 03 Philadelphia PA - USA Festival Pier At Penn's Landing
Oct 04 Columbia MD - USA Merriweather Post Pavilion
Oct 21 Tokyo - Japan Akasaka Blitz
Oct 22 Tokyo - Japan Akasaka Blitz
Oct 23 Osaka - Japan Namba-Hatch
Oct 24 Nagoya - Japan Club Diamond Hall
This looks amazing - thank you!!
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