All you Pink Robot fans get set to spaz out. The Flaming Lips are once again headed down under for two shows in July.
Secret Sounds presents the much-anticipated return of The Flaming Lips. Last seen in Australia at the 2004 Big Day Out, the psychedelic alt-rock gods are coming once again to infuse Aussies with wacky mind bending euphoria. The Flaming Lips don’t just put on a concert – they stage a psychedelic spectacular. The concert tour is to coincide with their new album, due to be releases in June.
Formed in 1983 and led since 1985 by singer/songwriter Wayne Coyne, The Flaming Lips recorded several albums and EPs on an indie label in the 1980s and early 1990s, after which they signed to Warner Brothers scoring a hit with 1993’s ‘She Don’t Use Jelly’.
Throughout the band’s long history they have had numerous line-up changes (Wayne’s brother Mark Coyne was originally lead singer) and a sound that shifted from punk rock to symphonic, tripped out melodies with lush arrangements. Through this all The Flaming Lips have retained their darling status via 1999’s critically acclaimed The Soft Bulletin (which was NME Magazine’s Album of the Year) and 2002’s Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. In fact, their career has been nothing short of prolific with the release of 12 full-length albums containing glorious noise.
In 2001, The Flaming Lips began filming a low-budget film called Christmas on Mars. The film, released in 2008, tells the story of the first Christmas of a colony set-up on the surface of Mars. Written and co-directed by Wayne Coyne, the bands, as well as many of their friends, act in the movie. Released in various formats along with an accompanying soundtrack, the movie/album is a fantastical film freak out. Ever prodigious, v are currently serving as guest curators for September’s All Tomorrow’s Parties festival in New York City, headlining and choosing all of the bands for the final day of the event. Albums aside, The Flaming Lips are also acclaimed for their elaborate live shows, which feature costumes, balloons, puppets, video projections, complex stage light configurations, giant hands, large amounts of confetti, and front man Wayne Coyne’s signature man-sized plastic bubble, in which he traverses the audience.
The first gig will be held at the Hordern Pavilion in Sydney on 28 July 2009 with a second performance at Melbourne Festival Hall on the 29 July. Tickets go on sale April 2 at 9am.
