The Flaming Lips at Bristol Beacon · Gig Review

Generation X isn’t known for smiling, we’ve spent 5 decades smug and now middle aged RBF has permanently encompassed our visage. But every time twinkling lights and rainbow inflatables pass through, guided by the ethereal wizard Wayne Coyne while the crowd chants the karate chops of a Japanese girl defeating robots, at that moment everyone born in the 1960s and 70s smiles. We have our moments.

The current incarnation of The Flaming Lips is missing one of it’s stalwarts: the virtuoso behind the arrangements, Steven Drozd. The multi-intrumentalist suffered some family scares last year which may be why he’s taking a break. But the musicians behind Coyne in the 2025 tour hold down the magical fort, delivering the beautiful tunes. While the first set encompassed the entirety of Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, set 2 spanned the catalog. Take a look:

Fight Test
One More Robot/Sympathy 3000-21
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 2
In the Morning of the Magicians
Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell
Are You a Hypnotist??
It’s Summertime
Do You Realize??
All We Have Is Now
Approaching Pavonis Mons by Balloon (Utopia Planitia)

Set 2 (after 25 minute break)

She Don’t Use Jelly
Flowers of Neptune 6
The Spark That Bled
Pompeii Am Götterdämmerung
Waitin’ For A Superman
The Golden Path The Chemical Brothers cover
Riding to Work in the Year 2025 (Your Invisible Now)
The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song (With All Your Power)

Encore

True Love Will Find You in the End Daniel Johnston cover
Do You Realize?? Special request for playing it twice
Race for the Prize
What a Wonderful World Louis Armstrong cover

As you can see, audience requests came in to play, as one loud member wanted to hear Do You Realize?? yet again. (I highly recommend the DYR episode of the podcast Song Exploder, where Coyne and Drozd deep dive into the songs creation.) I don’t care how many times you’ve heard the song, or how many times you’ve seen The Flaming Lips, every encounter with their live performances will bring you sheer joy. Keep coming back, Lips, and bring your buddy Drozd when he’s ready.