When The Flaming Lips announced that they were going to cover Dark Side of the Moon, music fans got a little nervous… and very excited. We had no idea what to expect, and when it finally came out, so did the collective “Huh?”, followed by, “Hey, it’s the Lips, just go with it.” As it turned out, it would be more of a re-envisioning than just a remake, so any discrepancy with the original became moot. Of course, the next thing the fans wondered was if they would they play it live. On this past New Years Eve, they got their answer in Oklahoma City during The Lips’ annual NYE event.
At just after midnight, following what was, I’m assuming, an already mind-bending set, The Flaming Lips with protégé’s Stardeath and the White Dwarfs kicked into the opening chords of their own Dark Side of the Moon. An audio of Henry Rollins’ take on the spoken word portion introduces the band as they launch into the heavy psychedelic punk rendition of “Breathe”, rolling right into “On The Run”. It’s a whirlwind of crunchy guitars, fuzzy bass, and all the trippy effects you can handle. What you also notice is that what you heard on record may only be the bare bones of what you get live. With all the hands and guitars on-stage, and even through the low quality of this armature six minute video, this clip seems to be the set up for the best thing The Lips have done live to date.
As of now, the only other place you’ll be able to catch this extravaganza (so far) is at this year’s Bonnaroo. While I’m not sure what becomes of the giant spray can that Coyne seems to be fiddling with at the end of the video, I can only imagine what he has in store for the hippies on the farm. (Although, I have a suspicion it involves confetti and some animal suits.) Until then, for those attending the festival, consider this a six minute teaser for the craziest night of your life, and if you’re not going, I’m sorry, and we’ll make sure to send a post card.
