Band: Flaming Lips
Venue: Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane
Date: September 28th 2019
Reviewer: Hear2Zen Magazine

September is always a busy month in Brisbane with the conclusion of the Brisbane Festival and the fireworks associated with Riverfire, but I think there were more fireworks inside Fortitude Music Hall than out on the river with the return of The Flaming Lips.

The Grates do a great job warming the crowd up and receive a well deserved reception. Not long to wait until The Flaming Lips hit the stage with confetti and balloons decending on the crowd. The stage is turned into a playground all throughout the night. Wayne surfing the crowd inside an inflatable ball, is not something you see at other shows. It’s just not gonna happen.

They of course are here to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of “The Soft Bulletin”, which sees the album showcased along with the most audience interactive show this new Brisbane venue has seen since its opening. And probably the loudest.  “She Don’t Use Jelly” sees the crowd drowning out the band.

Between the screens, the lights, the props, the confetti and the balloons, you might forget for a moment you are here for the music as well, but tracks like “The Spiderbite Song”, “Waiting’ For A Superman” and the closer “Do You Realize?”, you get jolted back into reality while still being bombarded sonically.

Im sure some newer fans to The Flaming Lips may have been perplexed or a little deflated that the band didn’t touch on more recent music, but they got the overall experience from the band and judging by the smiles leaving the venue it was just what everyone needed

Setlist:

Race For The Prize / A Spoonful Weighs A Ton / The Spark That Bled / The Spiderbite Song / Buggin’ / What Is The Light / The Observer / Waitin’ For A Superman / Suddenly Everything Has Changed / The Gash / Feeling Yourself Disintergrate / Sleeping On The Roof / She Don’t Use Jelly / Are You A Hypnotist? / Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots, Pt.1 / Do You Realize?