THE FLAMING LIPS and trusty crew earn themselves a black belt in live entertainment tonight at Edinburgh’s Usher Hall, frontman Wayne Coyne describing the venue as his Edinburgh Castle.
Taking their fans on a mind-bending trip through the tracks of 2002 album Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots, a ‘best of’ set follows, as experimental psychedelia shimmers with a child-like honesty while delving deep into the dark realities of the world we’ve landed on and our very own mortality, a message of love the dominant theme of the evening.
Over 20 years on, Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots feels more prescient than ever, a Black Mirror-balled glimpse at the not so far-fetched future, possibly even reporting on the present at times. Yikes! But nevermind, the party gadgetry takes the edge off any unease, with streamer cannons at the ready and four pink blobs adorning the stage before morphing into multi-knobbed, giant robots as the opening swirls of first track Fight Test tease the crowd, now captured under an impressive web of laser beams. And whether or not robots have feelings, I find myself feeling a tad sorry for Knobby no 3, who’s on a bit of a go-slow compared to its pals, that is until a kilted roadie allows it to reach it’s full potential… only to be let down at the end of the song. But after the hypnotic heartache of One More Robot/Sympathy-3000-21 (perhaps answering my question about robots and emotions), the inflatables are back, dominating the stage as the infectious beats of Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots, Pt 1 thrills the crowd, now in full sing-along mode. Coyne’s a disheveled sight to behold as he sings his wee heart out while feebly pushing against the robots, a disturbing flash of Noel Edmonds and the spotty one flickering before my eyes. Thankfully the image disappears as all hell breaks loose on the carnival Yoshi (Pt 2), the band conjuring up sounds which wouldn’t go amiss at any kids party while making me half expect old Nelly the Elephant to thunder onto the stage, the band portraying the battle of the robots, streamers shooting through the air, confetti swarming around our heads and every member of those flamin’ Lips grinning from ear to ear!
They play out the rest of the album, with highlights including the melancholic nostalgia of It’s Summertime and brutal beauty of Do You Realize, Coyne talking us through the significance of the song, as if by chance we’re not already aware. It’s a tearjerker alright, but tonight somehow feels a little more uplifting, the lyrics filling the screen behind the band in case it’s not already dawned on us “that everyone you know someday will die”. Ouch. And it has to be said that for all the flamboyance, fuss and musical grandeur that makes a Flaming Lips show, when it gets down to it, everything is paired back as Coyne sings with an eerie remoteness which still causes goosebumps after all these years, the frankness in their lyrics, stating truths we’re already too aware of, never failing to alarm and unsettle.
After an interval that sees the crew battling to deflate our pink friends to the point they can be squeezed into a tent bag or similar (which is no mean feat), She Don’t Use Jelly slams through the audience in all its 1993 grunge-infused glory. There’s more cartoonish antics in true Flaming Lips style as Coyne dons one of his favourite stage attires, the orb, and we’re later visited by pleasant-natured aliens, who appear to have been dipped in syrup then rolled down a hill of silver pubes. Coyne’s enthusiasm knows no bounds as he eggs on the crowd to keep going, frequently raising his fists in celebration which is really kind of cute! He even stuns in a Wonder Woman style kaftan as the mood gets heavy for the sorrowful Waitin’ For A Superman, from 1999’s The Soft Bulletin, once more taking time out to explain the weight of the number and asking the audience to lighten the load if they get overwhelmed. But the mood lifts as he introduces a track they wrote back in 1996 entitled Riding To Work In The Year 2025, a song they rarely play about a date he admits seemed impossibly futuristic at the time. Athough the track peers into the great unknown, it also considers the past and lost loved ones, a nostalgic glow beaming from the line “Everything is orange and bright in reflection”. On the other hand, this could’ve been a Simpsons-like prophecy…
The encore begins with True Love Will Find You In The End, the cover a tribute to the late Daniel Johnston before Flaming lips favourite Race For The Prize fills the Usher Hall with all it’s symphonic splendour, a blizzard of confetti and fabulous ‘Fuck Yeah Edinburgh’ balloon ending the night in true Lips style!
These guys sure know how to put on a show and as I spot a pink cat-suited fan leave with a large silver E balloon in tow, it looks like the night will linger in the memories of many for a long time to come. Sublime!
Words: Shirley Mack @shirleymack.bsky.social
Pictures: Calum Mackintosh @ayecandyphotography