Yeah, the past 5 months of my life had totally built up to yesterday, and it was amazing.

I can't post many pictures at all, because I took most of my stage pictures with a disposable camera I had, and I think I can get them put onto a CD - although I'm not sure.

OK. So, our Train got delayed, etc etc. Just our luck, but I won't really go on that much about the journey.

We arrived at about half one, got in a dodgy taxi with a guy who didn't have a counter - ;( But we went to the hotel to check in. Chilled out for a bit and then headed out!

Spent about an hour looking for the National Indoor Arena! Should have phoned Xander really ; ;

We went round and round and all over! Anyway, we asked several people and eventually reached it and saw the tour bus!

So me and my friend went pretty insane and ran towards it, but the Security Guard wouldn't let us in, and after circling the building for an hour or so waiting for them, we left for a bit! Cause guards were looking wary of us. Not that we'd have done anything!

Anywayyyyy, we got a McDonalds. Had a laugh about the Birmingham accent, and headed back.

Then suddenly, I heard a noise from the stage, and ran towards the nearest door. My CYNICAL friend said it was a car, but then we heard "THE TEST BEGINS. NOW!!" Which is the opening words to Fight Test.

And so, the news was out. The Flaming Lips were sound-checking. We shouted for Wayne through gaps and whatnot! But to no avail. We just stewed in our own WANTING TO BARGE IN THERE.


And so. We head for the entrance about 4:30. Meet some cool dudes. Two guys came from St Louis just to see them, it was awesome. They went for some chicken, and 2 hours later we were let in.

Support band was "Deerhoof" who were bloody amazing. One of the most original bands on the planet, I swear. And some sick drumming/time signitures.

After lots of cheering.

I took a picture of Wayne's awesome guitar.



And, them setting up. Or just Wayne.



I'm not going to go on about each song, but the setlist was (for the few!)

Intro - Space Bubble
Race for the Prize
Free Radicals
Yoshimi pt 1
Yoshimi pt 2
Vein of Stars
The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song
Fight Test
The WAND
Ode to C.C Pt 2
My Cosmic Autumn Rebellion
She Don't Use Jelly
Do You Realize
Bohemian Rhapsody
A Spoonful Weighs A Ton

Yeah I've got more to say about the earlier events of the show!

All I can say is that it was mind-blowingly astonishing.

Have some videos I'm going to try and tweak around a bit, and more pictures of the set soon.

Strobe lights, balloons, Flashing lights, lasers, streamers, smoke, mic-cams

You name it, they had it.

Amazing.

I like Deerhoof.

Oh man Rapture, I am green with envy now. Green with envy.

lewis

that sounds excellently great

That sounds like a wicked show and to have Deerhoof as support, top-notch stuff.

I was really surprised by them, but honestly, they're so much better live.

The drummer, seriously, Kliph of the Lips was actually in awe of him.

Oh man Rapture, I am green with envy now. Green with envy.

same, but pleased at the same time, delighted you had such a blast Lewis~~~

Glad you got to go and have fun dawg ~

Haha.

Cheers for the interest, guys, honestly.

if you even just LIKE them, though, I'd recommend checking them out live. It's just such a show.

I was going to see the Lips this summer with Sonic Youth, more for SY but I didn't go because I don't really like super huge shows that cost 30 dollars. I have only paid that much for a single band once and it was my first concert and it was Modest Mouse so yeah.

I get to go to most things in Milwaukee now for free which is pretty awesome but I have not taken advantage yet. I was going to see th Dresden Dolls but I already had planned to go back to Minneapolis for a friends halloween party so I skipped out.

Lewis I'm so glad you got to see them and it only makes me even more thirsty for live music which will have to wait till March now that Omar and the boys have cancelled on me lol!!

Why did they cancel! :(

Oh man Rapture, I am green with envy now. Green with envy.
same, but pleased at the same time, delighted you had such a blast Lewis~~~

X2 :D:D:D

The drummer, seriously, Kliph of the Lips was actually in awe of him.

Did Drozd drum any? =(

Why did they cancel! :(

Not entirely sure but I think it has something to do with getting a new drummer to learn all their songs or something

Did Drozd drum any? =(

No, no need now. Kliph has learned all of the songs.

The 'Lips rely on Drozd for the other instruments, particularly keyboard and electric guitar.

Kliph was still great though.

Also: Cornesy: Yeah - I heard that they have yet another new drummer, and it aint gonna take a week to learn those beats.

Really sorry, though. Hope you're not too disappointed.

OK got some photo's. A lot of mine I can't get at the moment, but next to me for pretty much the duration of the gig was Lynsey Wilkins (I presume), and she took pretty similar pictures to me, but a lot of them are better quality. Thanks to her for capturing everything though, she did a great job.

Steven:



Michael! Didn't smile at all!



Wayne during Free Radicals. Awesome guitar~



This is a nun puppet sing a long after Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots:



Vein of Stars - Magical!



Who Knows...?



Strobe lights!



I think this was Fight Test!



Ivins again! Awesome:



My Cosmic Autumn Rebellion! Best song of the night.



And again:



Do You Realize! I think, anyway!



This is what you saw of you looked up most of the time:



Most of the band!



I think we'll end it here:



Please try to see them guys, it's wonderful.

God, I could almost cry. That looks like one of the most spectacular live acts ever. I will make a super effort to try see them next time they're on tour here since both Dublin gigs are sold out now ;(

not looking at the photos on account of seeing them this saturday so D:

or reading the synopsis but still GJ ON THE WAYNE LOVE <333

Oh man it all looks so spectacular, especially that disco ball

And I'm mainly just inconvenienced by the volta post-poning their tour instead of just disappointed because I really have no idea what I'll be doing or where I'll be by March next year. I'm sure that I will have time to fit them in though

Hello, Rapture. The Flaming Lips are great- quite possibly my favorite band, as well. =) That looks to have been a fantastic show- I saw them for the first time recently at the SXSW festival, unfortunately a poor venue for them but an amazing show nonetheless- I even got up close enough to touch Wayne Coyne's bubble when he was walking over the audience.

You a fan of their earlier stuff, too? It's all incredible music in my opinion. My favorite of their albums to date is still In a Priest Driven Ambulance, although I don't think they've produced much of anything I haven't liked(I have everything they've produced since their first EP in '84).

Anyway, rock on- I'll be interested to see what other music you like. I have a pretty long list myself, maybe we'll see where they match up.

Lukey - Yeah, it was. And I'm sure TMV will be worth the wait, I'm looking to pick up tickets when they come back to the UK! ;(

John Apricot: I quite like the earlier stuff, but not as much as the new stuff. By "new stuff" I mean Zaireeka onwards. But it's impossible to catergorize them as old and new stuff, really - since they've been through quite a few stages. "Oh My Gawd!!" would probably have been a lot more successful if it was released this year.