Yong Knives supported Flaming Lips at Rock City
There’s a sense of humour and mischief to the Young Knives that makes them a fitting opener for Flaming Lips on this UK tour.
The playful art-punks arrive to the electronic sugar rush of Owls Of Athens from their recent album Sick Octave. It’s an essential energising track to raise the post-work energy levels of the crowd who have arrived for the early 7pm start.
Breaking through in the early naughties when it seemed that every new British band was channeling the post-punk of the late 70s and early 80s, but as we are reminded tonight, just don’t compare them to the Kaiser Chiefs. Even old touring companions The Rakes come in for a bit of a slagging, which doesn’t sit particularly well.
Yet away from the snide comments and attempted zaniness, Young Knives have clearly moved on from their early suit and tie wearing days to embrace a wider musical palette that takes in the twisted classic pop of All Tied Up and the sturm and drang of Bed Warmer.
Throwing in old favourite The Decision late on is a reminder of what a wonderful tightly wound piece of Wire-esq indie-pop it still is and also how long Young Knives have been doing this. They're a rare breed, British pop band making intelligent music.
Wayne Coyne from Flaming Lips
With recent women problems, rumoured drug problems, drummer problems, and venue problems (tonight's show has been downgraded from Nottingham Arena to Rock City), you would think that Wayne Coyne would be a broken man, but it seems that nothing can stop this man and his band of fellow band of spaced-out rockers.
The theatrics that we have come to expect from a Flaming Lips show of late - fake blood, hand puppets, children dressed and santas and aliens etc - are kept to a minimum. Instead, we have the band performing behind a curtain of draped industrial strength fairy lights, while behind them is what is essentially an endlessly flashing, multi-coloured wall. For the next two hours this is their trippy wonderland.
Opening with the two oldest songs in the set, Abandoned Hospital Ship and She Don’t Use Jelly, they make for a euphoric double-billing; confetti cannons showering the audience during the former and the latter being the first mass sing-a-long of the evening.
Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots, Pt. 1 follows and the band settle in for an evening of neo-psychedelic electronica focussing on their post-Soft Bulletin output. If a little one-paced at times, the band more than make up for this by creating a delightful, all encompassing noise - burbling keyboards and electronic textures that sound like the band are visitors from another dimension. There is a also a celebratory feel to much of the show with Wayne Coyne’s endless enthusiasm working the crowd like a preacher in front of his fellow space-travelling congregation.
Having recently recorded their version of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, the band have announced that they will be releasing their tribute to Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. We are treated to a taster when they end the night with a rousing rendition of Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds. It’s an apt, raucous take on the Beatles track and lifts the crowd one final time.
Flaming Lips setlist
The Abandoned Hospital Ship
She Don't Use Jelly
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1
In the Morning of the Magicians
Watching the Planets
Feeling Yourself Disintegrate
Race for the Prize
Look...The Sun Is Rising
The W.A.N.D.
Try to Explain
Virgo Self-Esteem Broadcast
Silver Trembling Hands
Waitin' for a Superman
A Spoonful Weighs a Ton
Encore:
Do You Realize??
Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
Flaming Lips and Young Knives played at Rock City on Thursday 29 May 2014
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