Flaming Lips debut at Custom House Square

News

On fire: Flaming Lips to Turn it On in Belfast

Flaming Lips to Turn it On

Why don't you come on over for the Zutons?

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

By Maureen Coleman

The Flaming Lips are to play their first headlining Northern Ireland gig this summer as part of Belfast's newest music festival, Belsonic.

The US alternative rock band, who are world famous for their elaborate and exciting live performances, will play their only Irish show this year at Custom House Square on Monday, August 11. Further big name acts will be announced for the series of events at the city centre space.

The new Belsonic Festival is the latest addition to the local calendar and will comprise a series of one-day boutique-scale events in August.

A spokesman for the organisers of the festival said it would bring " something unique to the summer season in Northern Ireland." Each Belsonic show will be a one-stage festival presentation in the heart of Belfast. The line-up of each day event will combine to create a varied programme of well-known names, alongside emerging bands.

A spokesman said: "Belsonic will present all the atmosphere of a music festival in the most urban of settings, and will present an opportunity to get as close as possible in an outdoor setting to major performers."

Oklahoma band The Flaming Lips, led by frontman Wayne Coyne stole the show when they performed at the Electric Picnic Festival in Co Laois in 2005. They also played at the Live at the Marquee in Cork last year.

Recent tours by the band have featured costumes, balloons, puppets, video projections, complex stage light configurations, giant hands and Coyne's signature man-sized plastic bubble. The band are also joined on stage by dozens of dancing animal figures.

In 2002 Q magazine named The Flaming Lips one of the 50 Bands To See Before You Die.

The award-winning group, which formed in 1983, are known for their multi-layered, psychedelic arrangements and bizzarre songs titles.

More recently they have achieved commercial success through 1999's The Soft Bulletin, NME's Album of the Year, 2002's Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots and 2006's At War With The Mystics.

Christmas on Mars is a forthcoming sci fi feature film from the band, with a Belfast showing expected around the date of the Custom House Square gig.

Tickets for The Flaming Lips Belsonic Festival appearance will go on sale this weekend via the event's own website, with details expected to be announced later today.