The Flaming Lips: At War With The Mystics

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Flaming Lips career spans over 20 years and it that time they have made some rather radical and boundary pushing music along with some electric live sets and also gave the Futureheads their name (The band taken their name from The Flaming Lips album Hit To Death In The Futurehead). They have seen quite a few line up changes over the years, but now the band consists of Michael Ivins, Steven Drozd and Wayne Coyne. This, there 11th album, shows no sign of slowing down when it comes to musical progression. Read more

Interview: The Landaus

 

 

 

 

 

 

AudioScribbler: You’ve supported some high profile bands such as Kasabian, Goldie Lookin’ Chain, The Paddingtons and Black Wire, but do you prefer playing the big crowds or the more intimate venues where you can get pissed with your mates afterwards.

Gaz: Probably high profile gigs as you get to play to a lot more new people, plus the sound should be better and you also get a rider. Our mates don’t really come to many gigs as they have seen us loads, but we still always go out and get pissed with the lads.

AS: The Landaus have been doing a lot of touring recently, both locally and down in London, what is the most rock n roll thing somebody in the band has got up to?

Gaz: My memory is rubbish! Probably when we played in Lincoln with Park ‘N’ Ride, we proper trashed the back room, it was all smoking so the security came and had to walk over Steff as he was passed out in the corridor. The promoter paid for a bed ‘n’ breakfast, and we got bout 4 people in each room. We ended up having to legg it in the morning so we dint have to pay.

 

AS: Your singer and guitarist Loz broke his thumb recently, did that affect the way you performed at your gigs at all? Did you have to change around your set?

Gaz: We changed our set a little but it was still ok, he can play now so it’s all gravy.

AS: When The Landaus hit the big time, what are you going to ask for in your tour bus?

Gaz: Haha, well, a massive TV with family guy playing, a microwave for Danny, a play pen for Steff and probably a mini bar, haha, dream.

AS: You all seem like crazy party animals at your live gigs, is the title of the most rock n roll band member fought over, or is there a clear winner?

Gaz: There isn’t really a clear winner because Danny and Loz don’t have any money, but they try their best to get wrecked. I’d say Steff but he’s just daft.

AS: The band seem to enter themselves into quite a few battle of the bands competitions, from your experience, do you think that battle of the band competitions are entirely genuine, or does there seem to be some in-house rigging going on?

Gaz: Battle of the bands are shit.

AS: You’ve been kicking around for a few years now building a steady fan base, when can we see you play at some festivals?

Gaz: Well, we’ve just got a manager and we’re playing a lot of small festivals and hopefully the unsigned stage at Leeds fest, that would be awesome.

AS: Finally, your drummer, Steff, acts suspiciously too much like animal from the muppets, are they related?

Gaz: Well he does come from Sweden and he does av a ginger beard…and he can’t talk English. He just crys a lot. I guess they’re related, in fact I saw his number on Steffs phone once, but didn’t ring it. I’d say YES!!