Saturday, June 13, 2009

Flaming Lips Video Post

I found some awesome Flaming Lips videos when I was hunting around YouTube long ago. I wanted to compile them into one post. Most of these are live videos because Warner Bros are lame and probably don't let any of the band's actual music videos to be on YT. I'm a huge Flaming Lips fan, and when I was 18 I got to be one of the animals onstage with my 2 best buds. It was one of the most exciting nights of my life, and it was the #1 sweatiest. Texas in June wearing furry costumes under stage lights is basically another version of the Martin Lawrence weight loss plan. We got to go backstage afterwards and meet the band. Too bad my signed shirt is kinda small and looks skanky on me.

Let's start with a couple of actual earlyish music videos. These two are both from 1990's In a Priest Driven Ambulance

This one might be my favorite. It's for "Unconsciously Screamin'," which also happens to be one of my favorite Flaming Lips songs. Somehow I remember this video from my childhood, but I don't really know how. I don't think it was on MTV, but maybe it was.


Here's the video for "Shine on Sweet Jesus."


This next one is the video for their first "hit," "She Don't Use Jelly. I definitely remember this one. Notice the higher production value. And also note that you may have to watch some stupid ad before the video because this one's from MTV's website.


Here is a video that bridges the gap between music video and live. It's from Jon Stewart's talk show (!) in 1994. They played "She Don't Use Jelly," which was their current single, and "Mountainside," which is another one of my favorite Lips songs. Jon Stewart talk show + early '90s Flaming Lips= one of the reasons I sometimes wish I was 10 years older.


Now onto some live clips. Most of these are from the early '90s, back when they didn't have tour sponsors paying for the fancy setup and audience participation items, but they still put on a hell of a show.

Would you like to see cymbals set on fire with lighter fluid and a bic lighter? Good. From 1990, here is "Unconsciously Screamin'" live.


Here the band plays in front of some of their trademark crazy video projections in 1992. "Talkin' 'Bout The Smilin' Immortality Deathporn Blues (Everyone Wants to Live Forever)"


"Hit Me Like You Did the First Time" from 1992. This one's not as crazy, but still worth a look.



Ronald Jones was the guitarist from roughly 1991-1996. He was awesome and I wish he was still in the band. I miss that sound. Here are some videos where he does cool stuff. Video quality isn't so awesome, but we're talking early '90s camcorders, none of your fancy digital video camcorder technology of the new millennium.

"Turn it On" from 1995. This is also one of my favorite songs. The freakout at around 4:23 is especially awesome, although I wish the camera was on Ronald instead of Michael during that part. The sound quality isn't so great, but hey, it was 1995, plus they're really loud.


From the same show, "Moth in the Incubator." Check out around 3:26 for the best part.


Another one from that same set. "She Don't Use Jelly"

"The Process" live from 1993.


This is from 2007. They actually encored with "Mountainside" (from 1990's In A Priest Driven Ambulance). I would have flipped out if I was at a Flaming Lips show and they played anything from that album. Usually the oldest thing they play is "She Don't Use Jelly," and nothing else even from Transmissions from the Satellite Heart (1993), which was my first Lips album, and is probably still my favorite.

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