Flaming Lips fans look like Flaming Lips fans. They’re an oddball bunch of colourful characters with wavy hair, vintage style and free spirit. While many were still buzzing from their recent expedition out to Werribee for Harvest, last night they packed into Melbourne’s Palace Theatre for an epic journey of the senses, narrated by the Lips’ ringleader himself, Mr. Wayne Coyne.
As the venue’s belly began to swell early in the evening, it was Perth band Pond who were to offer themselves up as the night’s first musical serving – and they fitted the bill like a glove. With members of Tame Impala in their ranks, the youthful bunch served up a setlist of psychedelic tunes laced with ‘70s prog-rock. Pint-sized singer Nick Albrook flung himself around the stage in an unapologetic fashion - oozing confidence - while the rest of the band settled into sprawling jams. Flaming Lips’ drummer Kliph Scurlock was obviously impressed with the guys, watching on intently from side of stage. If you dig Tame Impala but would like to hear them with a greater hard rock swagger, then check out Pond.
If you’ve never seen the Flaming Lips live before then add it to your list of things to do before you die. I’m serious. Do it right now. No matter what people tell you and how many times you’ve listened to their records, nothing compares to seeing the Lips in a live setting. It’s like some kind of mental religious experience led by singer and songwriter Wayne Coyne, where the audience is baptized by a sea of euphoric psychedelic pop-rock and eye-widening spectacle - and last night it was Melbourne’s turn to enter this blissed out domain.
After the band sound checked (complete with an address/warning from Wayne about what the audience could expect, “If you’re having a bad reaction to the strobe lights, it’s simple: just look away”) the lights dimmed, before an enormous silhouette of a naked lady with pulsating genitalia filled the LCD backdrop. Those who have seen the band before knew what was coming next, while others who were losing their Flaming Lips live virginity mostly stood on gawking. Each member slowly emerged from the backdrop, and before you could turn to the person beside you and query, “Oh my god, this is pretty damn amazing, huh?” Wayne was riding the audience in a giant inflatable bubble while the rest of the band summoned a thunderous instrumental. Turning the clock back to 1993, `She Don’t Use Jelly’ from
Transmissions from the Satellite Heart was soon unearthed as colourful inflatable balls rained from the ceiling, confetti filled the air and Wayne waved his arms and coaxed the audience to raise their voices and sing along.
With an expansive back catalogue of material, the set list dipped and weaved between the old and the new. There was the upbeat pop of `The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song’, the mellow ballad of ‘Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1’ and slow burn drone of ‘See the Leaves’, from 2009’s
Embryonic. Wayne also took the time to dazzle the audience with more eye candy throughout the set, donning laser-projecting gloves at one point and squealing effects pedals around the end.
Like they do all so often, the Flaming Lips closed the evening with an extended rendition of their anthem ‘Do You Realise?’. Wayne prompted the crowd and got what he was looking for, with most punters choosing to sing along to the joyous pop tune. With even more balloons, streamers and confetti filling the air, the place was just about OD-ing on happiness by the time this closer rolled by - a collective explosion of ecstasy for a evening that only the Flaming Lips could pull off.
Need more Flaming Lips action? Head to our Melbourne Harvest Festival gallery.
PHOTOS: Ian Laidlaw
WORDS: Jack Pilven