Flaming Lips Concert as Experience Design

The Flaming Lips are one of my favourite bands, they play psychedelic punk-tinged rock and are renowned for their elaborate live shows which often feature video screens, lasers, confetti, balloons, disco-balls, dancers and an infamous, inflatable "space-ball" which the lead singer Wayne Coyne uses to walk over top of the audience. Last year they played a show at the Molson Amphitheater which I attended and have watched clips of on YouTube repeatedly. This experience stuck with me because it is appealing on many different levels and I feel that even non-fans would be captivated by the intricacies and care they put into their performances.

The first video I have included is the opener and demonstrates the overwhelming memorability and power of their performance design :


video courtesy of the2scoops

This clip clearly displays two of the Universal Principles of Design which we read about this week: Accessibility and Aesthetic-Usability

Accessibility is embodied by the way in which the performance appeals to as many senses as possible. The music is played extremely loudly (as is the norm at concerts) so that the music functions as both an aural element and a physical sensation, while the multiple video screens (of which only the largest is pictured) sync with the songs as a visual representation of the music. People with limited sensory abilities would most likely be able to perceive at least one aspect of this performance (hear/see/feel). Music is also almost inherently accessible, as a song need not be performed in an audience members native tongue for that person to enjoy the show.

Aesthetic-Usability is also ingrained within this concert. Audience members were already presumably fans of the group's music, but a live format changes the fan/band relationship. If a group doesn't deliver an exciting performance to fans, they are likely to feel disappointed and perhaps even betrayed. This show's design ensures that the audience is steeped in the band's very specific aesthetic. From the diverse sensory stimulants of the video screen and confetti, to the ways in which the audience is physically engaged (supporting Wayne in the ball, keeping balloons moving through the crowd, recruited as stage dancers, singing back-up vocals), the concert is designed to be more of a celebration of the crowd's investment in the group than a dry re-iteration of songs everyone already knows. This strategy rewards the audience for attending and makes the concert a powerful, memorable and joyous occasion.

Proof of this success can be found in the only comment attached to the second video by Kidamneziac:

"I loved that concert, it was the most uplifting experience of my life; I can now die a happy man."


video courtesy of gregvaliquette

Despite the apparent sensory excess of the Flaming Lips aesthetic, Ockham's Razor is demonstrated in their performance in subtle ways. The modification of the song "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots"(a fan favourite) to an acoustic version allows the audience to sing along and the use of the video screen to close in on Wayne's face, as opposed to the psychedelic video montage in the first clip, maximizes the emotional impact of this portion of the show. The Lips utilize Ockham's Razor in the way they manipulate their song repertoire along with visuals to fit the medium of a live performance while maximizing the overall enjoyability and diversity of the experience for the audience.

As for Performance vs. Preference, fans of this group attend a live show with certain expectations in mind, I know I did, and the Flaming Lips surpassed every one of them. If they went without their specific brand of weirdness and theatrics they could easily play more songs, appeal to a wider audience, invest less of themselves into their jobs and technically be a more efficient, popular stream-lined rock group, but that isn't what their fans have come to know and love about them. Audiences don't attend concerts because they want to hear a perfect studio-accurate version of an album they already own. That would be really, really boring and there would never be a reason to leave your house. This performance is indicative of the need for a band to tour as opposed to just releasing and creating as much music as possible in their career (although in this particular case they have released a ton), which would technically benefit both the group and a wider audience of fans. Touring and performing is a way of directly linking fans and the media to a favourite band, and is therefore preferred by many people who have a deep investment in music and popular culture over bands who release immaculate albums but can't hold their own on stage.

Thanks for reading!