Flaming Lips - The Fearless Freaks
by Mark Rowland
published: 18 / 6 / 2005
intro
The new Flaming Lips DVD, like many other current rock doc films,looks beyond band member’s public personas to their personal experiences. Mark Rowland finds that it is a must for Flaming Lips fans, but also a fascinating documentary in its own right
'The Fearless Freaks' is part of a rock doc renaissance that includes 'Metallica: Some Kind of Monster' and DIG. Film-makers are looking beyond band member’s public personas to their personal experiences. Brad Beesley looks intensely into the family lives of frontman Wayne Coyne and multi-instrumentalist Stephen Drozd, both of whom have dealt with their fair share of dramatic events. Coyne grew up in a big family, and was constantly surrounded by drugs and music, mainly through Tommy, the eldest of his four brothers. They formed the Fearless Freaks, a club with other neighbourhood kids where they would take drugs and play violent sports. These days, Tommy is in and out of jail, far removed from Wayne’s success with the Lips. Wayne also recounts the time when armed robbers held up the fast food restaurant that he was working in. Staring death in the face that night, he says, has shaped Coyne’s attitude to life: death could come at any time, so live your life to the fullest. Drozd’s past has been much more tragic. His mother, sister and brother all committed suicide within a short period of time and, like Coyne, his eldest brother has been in and out of jail. He is also the focus of one of the most harrowing scenes of the film: when he shoots up heroin while talking about his addiction. Drozd has, thankfully, since kicked the habit, after Wayne hit him during the recording of 'Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots'. As well as these amazingly candid scenes, there’s plenty of footage for Flaming Lips fans: old live footage of the band, an overview of their career and albums, some great interviews with the band and people around them (including Jack White, Juliette Lewis and the Butthole Surfers’ Gibby Haynes), and footage from the Lips’ bizarre up-coming film, 'Christmas on Mars'. There are plenty of extras to get your teeth into too. Some great deleted scenes and outtakes that were seemingly cut due to the length of the film, live songs that span their career, photo slide shows and director’s and band members’ commentaries. This is a must for a Flaming Lips fan, but it is also a fascinating documentary in its own right. This is less about the band’s biography (which most fans would know) and more about what makes each member tick, which sets it apart from most rock docs.
live reviews |
London Astoria |
"Monkey hand puppets, hand-held smoke machines and crowd surfing frogs can only mean one thing-the Flaming Lips are back in town." New writer Lisa Mundy finds them in typically enterprising form at a show in London |
features |
(Gig of a Lifetime) Lovebox, London, July 2008 (2014) |
Mark Rowland, in our 'Gig of a Lifetime' series, writes of seeing the Flaming Lips for the first time at the Lovebox Festival in 2008 |
Starting Over with the Flaming Lips (2007) |
reviews |
At War With The Mystics (2006) |
Life-affirming eleventh album from the bestselling Flaming Lips, which takes its inspiration from 70's hard rock and psychedelic funk |
most viewed articles
current edition
In Dreams Begin Responsibilities - #15- On Being Dignified and Old aka Ten Tips From Jah Wobble On How To Be Happy.Dennis Tufano - Copernicus Center, Chicago, 19/7/2024
Elliott Murphy - Interview
Wreckless Eric - Interview
Adrian Gurvitz - Interview
In Dreams Begin Responsibilities - #16: Living in the Minds of Strangers
In Dreams Begin Responsibilities - #17: Tom Robinson
Norman Rodger - Interview
Chris Spedding - Interview
Penumbra - Interview
previous editions
Heavenly - P.U.N.K. Girl EPIn Dreams Begin Responsibilities - #5 - ‘We all have good intentions/ But all with strings attached’: Music and Mental Health Part 2
Trudie Myerscough-Harris - Interview
Allan Clarke - Interview
Dwina Gibb - Interview
Madeline Bell - Interview
Beautiful South - Ten Songs That Made Me Love...
Joy Division - The Image That Made Me Weep
Sound - Interview with Bi Marshall Part 1
Feedback File - Interview
most viewed reviews
current edition
Groovy Uncle - Making ExcusesBill Wyman - Drive My Car
Hawkestrel - Chaos Rocks
Philip Parfitt - The Dark Light
Deep Purple - =1
Ross Couper Band - The Homeroad
Jules Winchester - The Journey
John Murry and Michael Timmins - A Little Bit of Grace and Decay
Popstar - Obscene
Splashgirl and Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe - More Human
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart