Controversy, as you know, isn’t Coyne’s forte. His band, The Flaming Lips, are exponents of feel-good space-pop. Now, the singer is about to drop a personal observation and, truth to tell, he’s a little unsure how it will go down.
“I can’t really say this in public because every festival we play is supposed to be great,” confides Coyne, his accent a delicious US mid-west burr. “But Electric Picnic strikes me as one of the better ones. There’s a lot of diversity; it’s got artists that personally I’m looking forward to seeing.”
When The Flaming Lips last plied their sunny psychedelia – a wistful conjunction of Pink Floyd, Mercury Rev and the Tellytubbies theme – on the festival circuit, in the summer of 2003, the band took to the stage dressed as furry animals. The costumes, explains Coyne, were an attempt to make audiences feel part of something special.
“With the dressing up and stuff, what we were saying to the audience was ‘We’re here to play for you guys’,” he explains. “At European festivals – and especially English festivals – there is a huge emphasis on promoting stuff. We didn’t want to buy into that. Playing shows shouldn’t just be about trying to sell albums.”
Festivals, believes Coyne, are an opportunity to ‘do something different’.
“I really hate the idea that everything should be motivated by reward. When we play concerts, it’s for our audience. There’s no hidden purpose.”
If the Flaming Lips have a mission – which they do – it is to open your eyes to the elusive beauty of everyday things, says Coyne.
“Music is a gorgeous thing, with remarkable powers. We want to make audiences see how beautiful the world is.”