When my dear mum passed away many years ago, I scattered her ashes at Wollaton Hall. This place is part of my DNA, so an excuse to revisit this beautiful location, complete with a live soundtrack by the best band this side of Sagittarius A, is not to be missed.
All other band sets fade into insignificance compared to a Flaming Lips show, when you need those psychic batteries topping up because you are adrift in a vast ocean of pessimistic shit and need to be reminded of the frail stupid beauty of being a human being, they are the go-to guys to do the battery charging.
For the past 30 years I’ve been going to their gigs, never once have they let me down, you might say I’m a fan.
Tonight’s set is gloriously over the top even by their standards, especially in the inflatables and costumes department.
Frontman Wayne Coyne at various points was dressed as Wonder Woman. He was in his often-used human hamster ball at other points. And he also spent time being carried round by a shit alien.
It was a greatest hits package, frivolous in the extreme, with The Yeah Yeah song, She Don’t Use Jelly, Yoshimi and more.
For me there was also the deep meaningful tracks – I’m not crying, I’ve got something in my eye ( my mums ashes ?) – of Do You Realize and Daniel Johnston’s True Love Will Find You in the End.
Particularly enjoyable was their cover of the Chemical Brothers track The Golden Path but what really came as a surprise was a blistering cover of Black Sabbath’s War Pigs. Absolute surreal metal genius.
They finished off with Race for the Prize as confetti, streamers, giant inflatable balls and sundry floaty bits showered us all with love.
This was the final ever Splendour Festival this year, what a way to finish a twenty-year run.
Words by John Haylock, pictures by Arthur Hughes
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