Come plague or pandemic, give me music or give me death. Unless there are bubbles available, then zip me in and excuse me while I rock out like a hamster.
Video credit belongs to FIRST HAND FAN
Back in July of 2020 while interviewing the band, The Color Yes, I half-jokingly suggested the idea of a full-body condom for future concerts if this whole Covid-19 catastrophe were to continue. Hearty laughs were had by all, of course, I mean how silly for concert-goers to be encased in plastic just so they could enjoy a show!
Well, attendees of a recent Flaming Lips show in Oklahoma weren’t laughing and either is the band. Okay, perhaps they were all laughing, I mean come on, they looked ridiculous, but they looked like they were having fun at a live show! Ya, a live show! Remember those? The band put on two shows with live audiences that weekend.
So the deal was, everyone wore a mask in and out of the venue. There were 100 plastic bubbles, each able to encapsulate three concert-goers. The night began with Wayne Coyne, the lead singer, presenting the crowd with a “how-to” video explaining that everyone was provided with a speaker, fan, complimentary Flaming Lips water bottle, a towel for wiping off their sweat and the condensation that inevitably collected on the inside of their condom, I mean bubble, and a sign. The sign was to signal attendants there to assist concert-goers in need. One side said “It’s getting hot in here” which was to signal them to pump in some cool air and the other side said “I have to pee” which would have the attendants racing to free them so they could relieve themselves.
Overall it seems to have gone over well. People danced, laughed, and sang along to “She Don’t Use Jelly” ,and Coyne who is already known for crowd surfing in a zorb ball was quoted as saying to the BBC “I think we are quite lucky that the fans of The Flaming Lips kind of like this adventure.” He continued with, “It’s not just another concert, you’re part of this thing.”
This may not be everyone’s “thing” but for those with a sense of adventure and those who like the idea of taking part in something that has never been done before, this may just be the ticket to enjoying live music during a pandemic.
Photo credits belong to Reuters reporter Marie-Louise Gumuchian
Criterionin Oklahoma City, U.S from January 22, 2021