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Beck and the Flaming Lips...


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Sucked. I went to see the Universal Amplitheater show last night...Beck was great when he was by himself with an acoustic guitar...the rest of the show was a joke. I can't believe I spent over $100 to see a group of amature musicians who seemingly didn't have a clue how to entertain a packed auditorium musically. I recommend you skip this tour and hope that Beck does something with decent band in the near future. Two thumbs down.
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jeez, what show were you at? I was just about to post a thread titled: Flaming Lips= New Beatles... Granted, the drummer has one beat, but it's a good'un. Granted, my eyes hurt from Wayne's Light play. Beck did show depth with his acoustic segment (although the new songs couldn't be more depressing). There were no heroic guitar solos or Herbie keyboard virtuosity, but there was soul, there were dynamics, there was atmosphere and texture... Which show were you at?
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I like the song "Do you Realize" by the Flaming lips but I didn't like how they sounded live at all. MY OPINION is that The Flaming Lips are rank amature musicians, nothing they played all night gave me the impression they have any real talent...I felt totally ripped off. I don't know if Universal or Beck's Sound people are to blame but the kick drum was way too loud and aggressive sounding...everything sounded unbalanced. I could go on and on but I don't really want to keep slagging them...just felt the need to vent a bit...I don't recommend this show.
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[quote]Originally posted by Doug Osborne: [b]jeez, what show were you at? I was just about to post a thread titled: Flaming Lips= New Beatles... Granted, the drummer has one beat, but it's a good'un. Granted, my eyes hurt from Wayne's Light play. Beck did show depth with his acoustic segment (although the new songs couldn't be more depressing). There were no heroic guitar solos or Herbie keyboard virtuosity, but there was soul, there were dynamics, there was atmosphere and texture... Which show were you at?[/b][/quote]I was right behind the Soundman too...I thought some things sounded good but overall it wasn't a good sounding show. As far as dynamics go, I feel maybe we did see a different show ;) ...The drummer had absolutely no dynamics at all...he just plowed through everything...didn't react to anything any other musician played...and his timing was all over the place, not in a good way. I don't expect virtuosity...I do expect professional entertainers...I felt like I was watching a bad top40 cover band. No one had to play a fast lick...just play one that means something...3 notes can be more powerful than 500 if done with some feeling and [b]natural ability[/b] My honest opinion is that these guys don't have [b]it[/b]. Seems that's the norm these days anyway...I guess I'll just go see older entertainers until someone with some real talent and balls gets some critical acclaim. Pshaw! ;)
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You're right, the kick was loud and aggressive...and I kept marveling at how it was all that, but the vocals were still super intelligible, acoustic guitars fit (but what was that rining digital verb on the verge of taking off?). Some kind o' line array (forgot my binoculars) properly multi-amped for once. You didn't like the fuzzy animals? the confetti? Wayne's glasses?
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[quote]You didn't like the fuzzy animals? the confetti? Wayne's glasses?[/quote]Oh yeah...that stuff was great...I don't they should have given flashlights to all the people on stage, those lights got annoying really quick, but yeah I thought [b]visually[/b] the show was pretty cool. It would have been nice if they'd used the big screen to project Beck's face every once in a while...three big screens and Beck wasn't on any of them the whole show. Not that big a deal to me but my wife really wanted to see him more close up.
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the only thing I didn't like about the show was the fact that my girlfriend and I missed the first three Flaming Lips songs because we got diverted into the security screening line. Metal detectors, pat down (well, sometimes I pay for that ;) ), scrutiny, all while the other line to get in breezed on through.
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I love the Lips, but I haven't seen them live. They're album is probably my favorite for the year. Well theirs and Sigur Ros. However, I did see there Conan performance on Halloween and was pretty disappointed. Then again, a friend of mine saw them in Boston on some festival over the summer. He said it was one of the best live performances he has ever experienced. I wish I could check them out, but I don't think they're coming this way. Lincoln Ross Dead Black Jedis

"All conditioned things are impermanent. Work out your own salvation with diligence."

 

The Buddha's Last Words

 

R.I.P. RobT

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I haven't seen them live (got tix for the 20th Feb) but I have several of their albums ... they're now one of my favoutite bands ever and I can't believe they're crap live .. them + Beck sounds amazing!
"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." - Banky Edwards.
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I saw that show here in NYC about a month ago. Had the exact opposite reaction that you did. Thought that the Lips were absolutely fantastic, I love their songs, they've been around for along time now and my impression was that they're still really in it for the music. Their drummer really has the Bonham thing down to my ears, I think he's just fucking great. He's not overtly flashy but did you pick up on the subtle polyrythms he was laying down on his ride? I thought that Beck was ok. Didn't really dig his vibe too much. Think that he has talent but just seems like another over hyped rock star to me. pick up yoshimi battles and give it a chance, think you might like it just my opinion
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must not have been your cup of tea or caught the show on a bad night... the lips live are incredible [except that stupid soft bulliten tour where only wayne came out and sang and the drummer played keyboard and the rest came off tape... thats NOT a lips show.

alphajerk

FATcompilation

"if god is truly just, i tremble for the fate of my country" -thomas jefferson

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Well, first things first - Although i'm not currently tour managing the F.Lips on this tour with Beck, i can tell you a couple things regarding it. Beck asked the F.Lips to do this tour with him back in August, when we were first starting our Unlimited Sunshine tour. The F.Lips were totally surprised by Beck wanting them to be his band. He simply asked us backstage at our show at the Knitting Factory (L.A.) if we (err...they) would be his band for his upcoming tour. The F.Lips said 'maybe' and left it at that. We finished the Unlimited Sunshine tour and the Lips had a couple practices with Beck, then immediately went out on tour. The point of this rather disjointed rant is this: The F.Lips had approximately ZERO time to plan for this tour. They may seem rather rag-tag in interpreting Beck's songs, but i suspect that may have been Beck's intention all along. To simply dismiss the F.Lips as "rank-amatuers" because YOU dont know what is actually going on, or even know what is intended by Beck or the F.Lips is simply naive. A soundperson has all authority on judging sound quality....a soundperson has NO authority on judging artistic intent without.
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My apologies to whoever started this thread, but you are an absolute fool. The Lips blew Beck out of the water in every sense possible. First of all, the drummer on the tour is NOT the Lips' actual drummer. The real drummer was playing keyboards and guitar on most of the songs because he is a multi-talented instrumentalist. If you want to hear his badass drumming skills listen to the Soft Bulletin or, even better, the 4 cd version of Zaireeka. The drummer on the tour was the Lips' roadie. Whoever mentioned that the Lips are the new Beatles, you are right on the money. These guys are more creative than almost anybody else out there at the moment. Certainly moreso than Beck. I was disappointed that the Lips didn't bring more of their sound to Beck's set. And, by the way, the Lips themselves called a compilation of theirs "Recordings by Amateur Musicians" so it's not like they're egotistical bastards or anything. Beck was the one that asked them to tour with him because he recognized their brilliance. I'm sorry, but if you don't "get" the Lips you either haven't listened to their albums or you are a fool.
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Woah, I love the Lips. I love that their music to my ear is sincere. Yoshimi is one of the few albums this year where I actually cared about what the song meant. I actually derived meaning from the songs. That felt good, haven't felt that way in a while. However, I couldn't see someone being a fool if they don't get the Lips. If they don't like them, they just don't like them. Writing that off as a character flaw is a little over the top for me. A Huge Flaming Lips Fan, Lincoln Ross Dead Black Jedis

"All conditioned things are impermanent. Work out your own salvation with diligence."

 

The Buddha's Last Words

 

R.I.P. RobT

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[quote]Originally posted by Spacer: [b]First of all, the drummer on the tour is NOT the Lips' actual drummer. The real drummer was playing keyboards and guitar on most of the songs because he is a multi-talented instrumentalist. .[/b][/quote]okay, this explains a LOT... but WTF is the drummer playing keyboards for?!? he is a far better drummer than keyboardist. if i go to a lips show, i dont want to see some stinkin roadie or video of the drummer. i dont want to see the drummer playing keyboards. i want to hear that badass of a drummer pounding on those skins. of course, the lips lost me on soft bulletin anyway so what does my opinion matter... clouds taste metallic was their best cd and the last cd in my book which kinda shut the chapter on their greatness, and i have been a lips fan since oh my gawd when nobody knew who or what they were.

alphajerk

FATcompilation

"if god is truly just, i tremble for the fate of my country" -thomas jefferson

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HAHAHA...man the ill words toward me are uncalled for but I find them funny anyway so thanks...sincerely. [quote]pick up yoshimi battles and give it a chance, think you might like it[/quote]I own this CD and love it. Yeah I was harsh calling The Lips amatures...obviously they aren't but when it comes to the kind of music on "Sea Change" or even earlier Beck tunes...IMO they don't have the taste/skills on their instruments to pull it off. [quote]To simply dismiss the F.Lips as "rank-amatuers" because YOU dont know what is actually going on, or even know what is intended by Beck or the F.Lips is simply naive. A soundperson has all authority on judging sound quality....a soundperson has NO authority on judging artistic intent without.[/quote]I'm not a sound guy...I have tons to learn in that respect...I'm just a musician who used to work professionally a lot. I'm reviewing the show I saw...I didn't care what was going on behind the scenes or whatever...I paid money to see this show...as a fan of Beck's music I was very disappointed. I don't get to go to a lot of shows these days being a father and all so when I do I expect a lot. Everyone calm down...I hope I'm entitled to my opinion popular or not. The Flaming Lips are cool...I think they failed at playing Beck's music...I don't know why...maybe it's because they just don't have the ability...maybe it's because they've been put on the spot...maybe I just expected too much. The majority of the people who were at this show were happy...I think a better band would have had them a lot more excited but they seemed happy enough anyway. Last concert I saw before Beck the audience was completely blown away by the event and excitedly talked about it all the way to the parking lot...walking away from this show people were really quiet and seemed bored. Regardless...who gives a shit what I think. :p
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[quote]Originally posted by Stephen LeBlanc: [b]If it's a Guinness you might want to build a little fort around it today...I'm definitly gearing up for this 4day weekend. :thu: [/b][/quote]Mmmm.....Guinness.... Oh, on topic: uh...yeah...Lips...Beck. Becks! To my lips! Damn, got the beer-brain again. Never mind! ;) - Jeff
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  • 2 weeks later...
Well i saw the Lips/Beck show here in Vancouver and loved it.I too thought the Lips blew Beck out of the water.What i find curious about Steve`s? comments is that he has Yoshimi and loves the cd but then slags them as having no taste,ability etc.It seems like a contridiction to me.I too have the new cd and i think its brilliant,both from an artistic standpoint and a songwriting standpoint.Whether they have "chops" live or regardless of what the "kick" sounded like it would seem ludicrous to slag them the way you did if you fully appreciated what makes the Lips the Lips.Its not chops or kick drum sounds dude!! Arch
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