The Flaming Lips creatively fight the coronavirus with highly anticipated Space Bubble Concerts … featuring giant balloons that read ‘F *** you COVID19’
The Flaming Lips aren’t the kind of band that will let a global pandemic get in the way of putting on a great show.
On Fridays and Saturdays, the psychedelic rock band performed the Space Bubble Concerts in their hometown Oklahoma City.
The band’s frontman, Wayne Coyne, is known for years of stepping into a plastic ball and walking into the crowd, but the circumstances of the pandemic inspired him to design a show that expanded his idea.
Great concert: On Friday and Saturday, The Flaming Lips hosted what was called the Space Bubble Concerts and on the second day they unveiled a balloon display that read ‘F *** you COVID19’
Everyone present was given their own plastic bubble to climb into; each is designed for up to three people.
Each of the band members was also stationed in their own; the idea was to keep both the attendees and band members safe and make the show all the more memorable.
In addition to the bubbles, the concerts featured confetti, multiple strobe lights, and a visual display that appeared on a screen above the stage throughout the show.
Safe Show: All band members and attendees were given their own plastic balls to perform and enjoy the show in safety
Blunt Sayings: During each of the shows, the band released several balloon displays for their fans
A balloon display was also unveiled at Saturday’s concert that read, “F *** you COVID19.”
Last night’s event also featured an arrangement that read, ‘F *** yeah Oklahoma City.’
After the second show ended, the 60-year-old singer posted a video to his Instagram account, showing his son Bloom how the craziness unfolded.
The Flaming Lips had previously put on smaller, bubble-using shows, and in June they introduced their idea to the masses at a performance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, where they performed their 1999 track Race For The Prize.
In October, the band was featured in an edition of the NPR Tiny Desk Concert series, where they also played in plastic balls, albeit in a much smaller performance space.
Not the first time: Coyne has gotten into the crowd for years with the help of a plastic bubble, and they’ve become a staple of the band’s shows; he can be seen interacting with audience members at the Bourbon & Beyond Music Festival in 2019
High profile: The Flaming Lips played their first bubble concert in June, and a video of the show aired on an episode of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
In December, Coyne spoke to UPROXX about how the band has enjoyed the new types of gigs they’ve put on, noting that if the pandemic didn’t end soon, more bubble shows would take place.
The singer said, ‘There are a lot of details to find out, and what if this thing ends in a few weeks? But if it continues, we will continue. ‘
The songwriter also explained how he and his bandmates have come to embrace the changes brought about by the pandemic and noted that he began to appreciate the simplicity that has come into his life.
Most of us have now found joy in never having to decide. It’s a small tweak to get used to having nothing to do – just cook at home, watch TV. You don’t realize how valuable that kind of routine is, ”he said.
More to follow: In an interview, Coyne stated that the band would be open to more bubble shows no matter how long the pandemic lasts, noting that “if it continues, we’ll continue”; he will perform in 2017