12th
The Flaming Lips
“The Abandoned Hospital Ship”
Live in Houston, 5/22/1996
“The set opened with the stage in black as the opening chords to “The Abandoned Hospital Ship” played…A minute or so in, Ronald Jones hit this enormous ear-bleedingly loud distorted power chord and suddenly the stage was illuminated by thousands of Christmas lights, covering the microphone stand, drum kit, amplifiers, the wall behind the stage - everything. The Christmas lights trick made an impression on people during those tours. As I remember it, it was the kind of gesture that changed the temperature of the air in the room. It was unexpected and also had the effect of sending a shockwave of joy into the crowd. You could see people around you breaking into a smile. It seemed funny, kind of, but more than just funny — to me it had the feel of a gift that the band had given to their fans. … Looking back now, the Christmas lights effect was the most elegant and effective gesture I’ve ever seen at a live show: it was simple, warm, humorous, and charming; it was pedestrian while also being surprising. A couple hundred bucks for lights that you could buy in any Walgreens and a little imagination is all it took to create an experience people are still talking about 15 years later. The Christmas lights suggested to me that we were all capable of creating something inspiring from things we had lying around.”
- Mark Richardson, in his excellent 33 1/3 book about the Flaming Lips’ Zaireeka.
