Until recently, we only knew The Flaming Lips by name. Since the American band was in Osheaga as part of their tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of the acclaimed Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, we listened to them a few times on the way to vacation. And we couldn’t wait to see the version live.
Despite a colorful staging, the formation led by Wayne Coyne, the only founding member still in the game, had to insist throughout their performance to maintain the attention of the public.
The singer, accompanied by five musicians, including two drummers, began the program inside a transparent balloon. Four gigantic pink robots then inflated during the first song, Fight Test. They were deflated and reinflated a few times during the show. After leaving his bubble, Coyne remarked to the crowd what a great night it was and should be enjoyed. The spectators seemed to appreciate, but were perhaps not demonstrative enough for his taste.
The eccentric artist then put on a kind of poncho-bathrobe on which was printed the silhouette of Wonder Woman. A large disco ball appeared, balloons filled with confetti were tossed into the crowd, and then, after some beautifully played songs, a rainbow was inflated for the rendition of the wonderful Do You Realize?? . “If you don’t want to have any regrets, tell the people you love every day that you love them,” Wayne Coyne suggested to the crowd. This piece and the last two allowed the Flaming Lips to end their visit to Montreal on a high note.
