THE FLAMING LIPS

So, last night we went to see the Flaming Lips perform at the Phoenix. Holy mother of pearl, that was one amazing, very wicked show. They played all the songs I ever wanted to hear, and more that I never expected. To start, we were at the top of the phoenix, in that kind of snobby lounge area. We wanted to relax, as the doors opened at 9, and the show wasn't expected to start until at least 10. The opening act, Wolfmother, was a very retro-grade, wannabe Zep-esque pysch band. The crowd seemed to like them quite a lot, I thought they were boring and repatitive.

As for the Flaming lips, well! They started the show with this crazy instrumental while the screen behind them announced their arrival in Toronto, and how this show would change our live tonight. Fuck Yeah! the words on the screen screamed at me, the colours red and gold blinding me with a wonderful warm vision of pure joy.

And then Wayne Coyne gets everyone together, the balloons start coming out of nowhere, and he starts waving around that light of his in midair -














And the keys to Race For the Prize start, and we're no longer in the snobby lounge but up front in the crowd, everyone jumping in collective joy.

Other highlights - the incredibly wonderful sing-along of Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody. Oh yes, you read that right. The closer of their opening set, Do You Realize, confirms that yes, happiness can make you cry (or at least want to, as you hold someone you dearly love, like Brooke). And of course, they closed their set with the very political cover of Sabbath's War Pigs.

An amazing show, one of the best I've ever seen. Anywhere.




















Really really good. Thumbs up all the way good.

_N