Live Review
The Flaming Lips at Troxy in london
April 25th 2023
Troxy near Limehouse in East London looks to have picked up the live bookings that the currently out of action Brixton Academy may well have showcased.
So tonight's task finds us winding our way to this venue; though the area may not be bristling with bars and restaurants in the same way as other London locations might, the venue itself is a grand place to see music performed.
Thus here we have The Flaming Lips on a trip over to play some UK shows in support of the twentieth anniversary of their highly acclaimed album - Yoshimi battles The Pink Robots
Wayne Coyne and his band are reproducing the whole album in part one of this evenings show. He starts inside his well known "Hamster Ball" while giving us the first three tracks from the LP.
Of course the first crowd pleaser is Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt.1
with added karate shouts produced by the already excitable crowd.
Though Wayne appears a little nervous to start, the reaction from the loving crowd dampens any worries he must of had pre-gig
The next four songs pass by like a dream all played to perfection, feeling more dreamlike than even on the album.
Reaching the "big one" Do You Realize?? with more relevance now as having being added to the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 soundtrack it will surely become The Flaming Lips most well known song. It is greeted as expected with a complete singalong to the obvious emotional reaction for Wayne at the finish.
The last two tracks are played out to rapturous applause and the band take their leave for a break. We are promised all the good stuff to come, they definitely deliver in the second half too
The second part has various items vaulted into the air over the crowd from giant cannons. we are showered with silver strips to pink Robot confetti. The Flaming Lips could never be accused of not putting their heart and soul into every performance.
She Don't Use Jelly provides the loudest sing along so far. The on screen lyrics help those few who may not know the words to their break through hit from way back in '93.
An uplifting version of Waitin' for a Superman, just an unbelivable joyous song. We also get treated to a version of Madonna's Borderline.
The encore provides three stonewall Flaming Lips masterpieces rightfully concluding the night, with Feeling Yourself Disintegrate, A Spoonful Weighs a Ton and as if the atmosphere couldn't get any higher the almighty Race For The Prize ; which could quite easily keep going for an hour with no let up to the warmth and deep feeling that this band holds in the hearts and minds of their fans.
Wayne concludes by saying that this could be the best Flaming Lips show ever, now I haven't been to them all but I would concur that if it wasn't, this would take one hell of a beating.
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I have the added advantage of catching up with them on their second London show at Hammersmith before they go on to Manchester