The Flaming Lips review: Wayne Coyne and co hit the heights for brilliant gig at Olympia, Dublin
Before they even start, Flaming Lips' sharp-suited front man Wayne Coyne bounds from the wings of the Olympia stage to halt the PA playing Thin Lizzy so he can tell a story. He and his siblings used to sing 'The Coynes are back in town' during the 1970s, and could we try that tonight? The song rewinds, the crowd roar his family's name, and Coyne is already claiming this as 'one of the greatest gigs we're ever gonna play'.
The Lips – five of them including Mr Wayne – open with Flight Test from 2002's swirling pop masterwork Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots, played in its entirety for this first set. It's hardly begun before the Olympia is a blizzard of monster-shaped confetti, the hypnotic digital backdrop is in full effect (pleasingly, a stagehand has to tap it the odd time to banish gremlins), and two giant pink robots from the album cover are inflated. Coyne's prediction has already proven prescient.
He's delighted to be here and why wouldn't he with a band as remarkable as this? They finesse sounds out of keyboards and guitars – and gorgeous pedal steel - that seem drawn from another realm but are anchored to this one by Tommy McKenzie's rubbery bass and the double bass drum heft of Matt Duckworth Kirksey, who looks like John Bonham in a pink wig at a kid's party.
Flaming Lips at the Olympia.
Massive confetti-filled balloons float over the congregation, adding to the pandemonium when they burst, and the lighting rigs either side of Coyne employ lasers that wouldn't have shamed The Who in their pomp.
'Audiences often sound like drunk uncles but you guys can sing,' Wayne marvels after his vocals are eclipsed by the ecstatic throng's commandeering of Ego Tripping At The Gates Of Hell. An enormous, light-refracting mirrorball is wheeled on only to be replaced by a floppy rainbow arch for a deeply moving Do You Realize?? Either there was something in the tea that nice man in the wizard outfit gave me or this really is one of the greatest gigs ever.
The second half is a best of The Lips celebration including cuts from 1999's spectacular symphonic skyscraper The Soft Bulletin. More balloons fly through She Don't Use Jelly, Coyne dons Peter Gabriel's old flower-head rigout for Flowers Of Neptune 6 and then sports a Wonder Woman muumuu (really) during a superb Waiting For Superman.
There are roadies dressed as the sun, as aliens covered in tinsel, then as two oversized dancing eyeballs. The Lips finish with a Race For The Prize which reminds at least one tired hack why he fell so hard for this rock'n'roll stuff in the first place. A joyous, life-affirming, euphoric, and truly psychedelic experience.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
10 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Gary and Wayne Lineker confirm 17 year feud is over as they pose together at Tia's wedding
Wayne had long been trying to bury the hatchet with his sibling BROTHERS IN ARMS Gary and Wayne Lineker confirm 17 year feud is over as they pose together at Tia's wedding GARY and Wayne Lineker have confirmed their 17 year feud is over as they posed together at Tia's wedding. Father-of-the-bride Wayne, 63, wrapped an arm around Gary, 64, as they celebrated side-by-side. 6 Gary Lineker and brother Wayne have buried the hatchet After 17 years of reported tension, football legend Gary and Ibiza nightclub owner grinned and looked dapper in smart suits, beaming for the camera. Advertisement Tia shared the first glimpse of her lavish Mallorca wedding on Instagram on Wednesday - with her uncle clearly in attendance. She tied the knot with husband Harry Agombar, and Gary was sitting among the guests. Her father Wayne walked her down the alter and linked onto her arm as he did so. It's the second Lineker wedding in quick succession after Gary's son Harry tied the knot in June. Advertisement The brothers celebrated in boozy fashion on that occasion, but weren't pictured together. Harry, 31, married partner Bella in Ibiza, a stone's throw from Wayne's O Beach club. The two are believed to have fallen out while Gary was with his second wife Danielle Bux. Wayne told The Sun in 2015: "In my opinion, Danielle cost me my relationship with my brother. Sadly Gary is no longer a part of my life. Advertisement "They came to Ibiza in August 2008 and it was really awkward. I didn't spark with Danielle and our relationship was cold." Gary Lineker tears up as he bids emotional farewell to iconic Match of the Day after controversial BBC axe Wayne was Gary's best man at his first wedding to Michelle Cockayne in 1986. But the club owner did not attend as the ex-BBC host tied to knot with Danielle because his invite did not extend to his girlfriend at the time, Ana Tanaka. Opening up on the brother's relationship in a recent interview with The Mail, Wayne said: "It's not so good to be honest, we don't really speak very often. I'll always be his number one fan." 6 Gary Lineker knocked back booze at his son's wedding Credit: Instagram Advertisement 6 Wayne later got his turn, tilting his head back and catching the drink in his mouth Credit: Instagram 6 Gary's son Harry tied the knot to his partner Bella 6 Wayne and Gary had fell out in 2008
The Irish Sun
28-07-2025
- The Irish Sun
How a brave Brit soldier vowed to give a boy a new face & save his life amid the horrors of a genocidal war
A BLOODY war brought a British soldier and a young boy together in one of the most heartwarming stories you will ever read. Two decades ago, Sgt Wayne Ingram was shown a photo of Stefan Slavic amid the horrors of the 7 Sgt Wayne Ingram was determined to help Stefan Slavic the moment he met him amid the horrors of the Bosnia conflict 7 Stefan, then aged just four, was born with terrible facial deformities that would most probably end his short life in a couple of years Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 7 Stefan and Wayne at Great Ormond Street Hospital, after one of Stefan's operations in 2014 Credit: SWNS:South West News Service Stefan, then aged just four, was born with terrible facial deformities that would most probably end his short life in a couple of years. The toddler had a rare, severe facial Father-of-four Wayne says: 'He only had one airway and we didn't know if there were holes in his skull. 'So, at some point he would have contracted some sort of disease, maybe meningitis, that would have ended his life prematurely.' READ MORE UK NEWS Heartbroken and holding back tears Wayne, a veteran of Ulster's Troubles, made an incredible vow — to raise enough money to pay for life-saving surgery that would change the boy's life for ever. An incredible £160,000 and five major operations later, Stefan and Wayne are best friends, linked by a unique bond. Today, now aged 26, Stefan, plays keyboard in a Bosnian folk band, has a glamorous girlfriend and a promising life ahead of him. It is a far cry from his life as a boy being brought up in a country scarred by Most read in The Sun Now Wayne, 55, has told the incredible story in a new book, Soldier Of Conscience. 'Gargantuan task' In 2003, his regiment, the 9th/12th Lancers were sent to Bosnia where part of their job was to encourage locals to give up their weapons. Incredible video shows how doctors reconstructed man's face after he was savaged by a dog Wayne says: 'It was never going to happen because they had always lived with war throughout the centuries. 'And they always thought that, at some point, it would happen again. So, when we asked for weapons you would get the odd hunting rifle handed in but nothing much else.' The other part of the regiment's job was winning the hearts and minds of locals, but the police chief in Laktasi, near Banja Luka, kept giving British soldiers the slip. In that moment, I knew that I would protect this beautiful child with my life and do my utmost to ensure his operation went ahead Sgt Wayne Ingram on meeting Stefan Wayne says: 'He turned out to be the slipperiest eel I had ever tried to net. I needed to think smarter to nab him. 'On the day of our next planned meeting, I arrived at the police station a full hour early. 'He saw me and made a beeline for the back door. I gave chase, tripped over the kerb and went ass over tip in the car park. 'As I lay there he sped off in his car and gave me a quick look over his shoulder, laughing. 'I heard two men giggling behind me. Lying bruised on the dusty ground, I joined in the laughter. 'After they'd helped me, I introduced myself, unaware that several lives were about to change for ever.' The men were Dragoslav Kovacevic — Laktasi's Minister of Defence — and his personal assistant Milos Savic. Over coffee, wounded war veteran Milos showed Wayne a photograph of his toddler son Stefan and asked if any of the hearts and minds in the British Army could do anything to help his boy. An operation at a specialist hospital in France would cost €30,000. But as Milos only earned a pittance, it was not an option. Wayne was determined to help the little lad but needed permission from military top brass. His bosses gave the go-ahead with a warning: 'Sergeant Ingram, be careful. This has the potential to become a gargantuan task for you.' As we chat near his home in Portland , Dorset, Wayne says: 'Little did I know that he would be chillingly correct. "This would be the first day of a 13-year lone, uphill struggle, during which my emotions would reach immense highs, followed by long, dark descents into self-doubt, where I'd feel totally out of my depth, with no idea how to make it to the next stage.' First, he took a group of his soldiers in a Scimitar tank to meet little Stefan. As the 6ft 2in sergeant knelt down, the blond-haired boy kissed him on the cheek and said 'hallow' in broken English. Wayne says: 'In that moment, I knew that I would protect this beautiful child with my life and do my utmost to ensure his operation went ahead.' The British soldiers organised a football match against a team of locals who had been on opposing sides during the Balkan conflict. Wayne says: 'We lost 7-3, but at a barbecue afterwards all these people who had previously been fighting for years were sharing food. Arms amnesty 'The match raised €6,000 and when the locals saw that we really wanted to help, they asked if there was anything they could do. 'I said, 'We're looking for an arms amnesty'. 'They replied, 'Leave it with us'. 7 Wayne with Stefan and his mum Slavenka in 2014, before his final surgery was carried out Credit: Louis Wood - The Sun 7 Stefan, now 26, is able to live a normal life and is full of gratitude to Wayne - who made it all possible Credit: supplied 'The following Saturday it was like a scene from Jaws. I said to my corporal, 'Bloody hell we're going to need a bigger van'. 'We'd turned up expecting to get a few rifles. There were around 100 AK-47s laid out alongside RPG-7s with warheads. "Loads and loads of hand grenades, 40 or 50 pistols, tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition, land mines, anti-tank mines. All handed in because they trusted us. 'You had to think, if these are the ones they're prepared to hand in, how much was still out there?' After his tour ended in July 2003, Wayne returned to the UK and began raising money in earnest to pay for surgery for Stefan at London's A top Harley Street surgeon, Professor David Dunaway, kindly agreed to operate for free. But the rest of Stefan's hospital care, his family's accommodation and their travel to and from the UK would need to be covered by donations. Wayne says: 'In my naivety, I thought it was just going to be one operation but in the end it was five, the last was 13 years to the day after the first.' That first operation had been to remove some teeth to prepare Stefan's mouth for a 12-hour-op in October 2003, that would completely deconstruct his skull, moving his brain out of the way to rebuild the bones like a jigsaw. Wayne says: 'David is an absolute genius. His surgical skills transformed Stefan's life. 'He became the boy that he had always wanted to be. 'Not once did I ever hear Stefan complain, not once did I see him cry. 'After his 12-hour operation we didn't know whether he'd lose his sight and for four or five days he had his eyes covered up. 'One morning I walked into the hospital ward where they had removed the plasters and Stefan just started smiling. Morphine 'Even as a 13-year-old — when he'd had cosmetic surgery on his nose to open his airways — he had a syringe driver with morphine in it, but he never pressed it so they took it away after a day.' Stefan had three more operations to correct his nose and facial features as his bones grew over the years. Stefan is an amazing man. He works full-time in a warehouse and plays in a folk band. He's such a good-looking guy and has been in a relationship for quite some time with his long-term girlfriend Sgt Wayne Ingram on Stefan While all this was going on, Wayne discovered that he was suffering from complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, caused by a bomb blast 15 years earlier in Belfast. His marriage fell apart but Wayne continued to honour his promise to help Stefan. Wayne says: 'Raising £160,000 to pay for flights for Stefan's family and his hospital care took a lot out of me after 13 years. 'There were plenty of sleepless nights wondering where I was going to get the money from. 'At one point I had a shortfall where I was going to have to sell my motorbike until a stranger I'd never met before contacted me through the local paper. 'She and her husband had followed Stefan's story from day one. Sadly, her husband had died and she gave us £10,000. We weren't allowed to use her name, she only wanted to be called the 'kind granny'. 'This country's amazing. It's called Great Britain for a reason. 'Whenever there's a hardship, people put their hands in their pockets and the community comes together and helps people.' Wayne, who is now remarried and works as an offshore paramedic, stays in touch with Stefan using a translation app. He says: 'Stefan is an amazing man. He works full-time in a warehouse and plays in a folk band. 'He's such a good-looking guy and has been in a relationship for quite some time with his long-term girlfriend. 'She's beautiful and they just look amazing together.' Stefan sent a message to Wayne: 'You changed my life for the better. 'I love you my friend for ever. My gratitude cannot be expressed in words.' Soldier Of Conscience: From Fighting The IRA To Battling PTSD, by Wayne Ingram MBE, published by Pen & Sword, is out now. All royalties go to Scoliosis Support & Research. 7 Wayne has written a book about his amazing mission to help young Stefan - Soldier Of Conscience: From Fighting The IRA To Battling PTSD is out now Credit: Arthur Edwards / The Sun 7 A 12-year-old lad hangs from the barrel of a destroyed tank in Sarajevo in 1996 Credit: AFP
The Irish Sun
13-07-2025
- The Irish Sun
How ‘revenge' inspired Coleen Rooney set to become TV's newest power couple with Wayne amid I'm a Celeb and MOTD deals
SHE spent years of her life being the dutiful wife, closely following husband Wayne Rooney's career while hers took a back seat. But now Coleen Rooney is Advertisement 5 Coleen Rooney has proven her doubters wrong and is now a TV powerhouse Credit: Rex 5 The former WAG is now her family's main breadwinner Credit: Instagram 5 Coleen and husband Wayne are both in demand Credit: Getty The I money - and thinks making her own cash is the perfect way to do that. An insider told us: 'This is just the start for Coleen and she can be very determined when she wants to be. 'She's sick of hearing that she would be nothing without Wayne or she only stays for the money - she's now a multimillionaire in her own right and she's not stopping there. 'She's the reason they got this big Disney deal and I'm A Celeb Advertisement READ MORE ON COLEEN ROONEY They added: 'She turned down a lot when the boys were little and now her career is as important as Wayne's. It's the ultimate revenge on her doubters.' The Sun has contacted representatives for Coleen for comment. The Sun told last week how Coleen's earnings have now eclipsed those of the ex-England footballer after business ventures made a £1.3million profit. Figures for her firm, CWR 2021, indicate the income from her endorsements and media career Advertisement Most read in Celebrity Breaking Exclusive Exclusive Earlier this year, Coleen agreed to a reported £10million deal with Disney which will see her and Wayne appear in a documentary with their four sons - Kai, 15, Klay, 11, Kit, 8, and Cass, 6. Things are really looking up for the couple as Wayne Rooney lands £800k deal to be Match of the Day pundit as he and wife Coleen become British TV's new power couple He is also signed up as a panellist for the channel's 2026 World Cup coverage from the US, Mexico and Canada. A source added: 'With Coleen's amazing Disney contract, and Wayne's new BBC deal, they will officially become one of the country's most influential media power couples. It's a very exciting time.' Advertisement 5 The couple have four sons - Kai, 15, Klay, 11, Kit, 8, and Cass, 6 Credit: COLEEN ROONEY/INSTAGRAM 5 They recently enjoyed a date day at Wimbledon Credit: Instagram/coleen_rooney Wayne Rooney's record-breaking career WAYNE Rooney took the football world by storm when he made his debut for 2002 with Everton. He quickly became the club's youngest-ever goalscorer aged 16 years and 342 days and was named the BBC's Young Sports Personality of the Year. The striker joined Manchester United in 2004 and spent 13 years at Old Trafford. He went on to make 559 appearances for the Red Devils and scored 253 goals. To this day he is still the club's all-time leading goalscorer. Following his spell with United, Rooney returned to Everton for a season. He also spent one-season stints with D.C. United and Derby County at the end of his career. As well as his impressive club career, Rooney is also England's second-highest goalscorer with 53 goals in 120 appearances, behind only Harry Kane. After hanging up his boots, the England icon turned to a career in management. He took charge of Derby County in 2020 and managed to just about save the club from relegation from the Championship at the end of his first season. However, with Derby handed a 21-point deduction the following campaign, he was unable to keep them up again and subsequently left. Then came a 15-month spell in charge of MLS side D.C. United. He failed to impress during his time in Washington and parted ways with the club at the end of the 2023 regular season. Rooney was controversially handed the Birmingham job in October 2023, replacing John Eustace with the club doing well and sixth in the Championship table. However, in 15 games he suffered nine defeats and managed just two wins. He was sacked in January 2024 with Birmingham down in 20th. The club were relegated to League One at the end of the campaign. He returned to management in May with Plymouth Argyle but managed just five wins in 25 games. The United legend now finds himself out of work once again.
