Odds are if you’ve heard about Black Lips it’s most likely due to seeing one of their crazy live shows are talking to someone who has. Stage diving, nudity, urinating and countless other acts done for “shock value” can be expected at a typical Lips set. Although they’ve claimed that they have cut down on their on-stage shenanigans, their recent stint in India where they subsequently got banned from the sub-continent after their second gig (the final slot in an Indian Metal “Battle of the Bands”) proves that their new-found “maturity” seems to be intermittent at best.
After the dust settled, the Black Lips caught a plane to Germany to record an EP with fellow, and equally volatile, King Khan before heading out on a European tour, sans Khan. Needless to say after hearing the news from Asia, I was amped to be able to see their act in person at a small venue in Munich. After an energetic but overall flat opener HARA-KEE-REES, the crowd braced for the main event by compacting themselves close to the stage. This was probably the most excited I’ve seen a European audience since my arrival a year ago.
With the lights fire red, the Lips took the stage jamming out to hits from the popular 2007 LP Good Bad Not Evil. It was only a matter of time before the first German took to the stage, shirtless of course, and started singing into the mic and force feeding beer to the band members. I quickly followed suit by being the first to stage-dive at the end of “Lock and Key” which in turn excited the crowd and opened the floodgates for the pushing and shoving to get to the front of the stage.
The Lips, on the other hand, seemed to be removed from the chaos happening around them, opting for a more mellow demeanor. While bottles and cups started to be thrown, they pleaded with the crowd for restraint because they were “from America and had no health insurance” – a very un-Black Lips move. Other than constant movement and a quick “hit the floor while playing guitar” routine by guitarist Cole Alexander (reminiscent of Marty McFly in Back to the Future), the Lips were mostly subdued the whole night.
Not to say they didn’t put on a good performance musically because they did – even playing a handful of new tunes from their future March 16th release 200 Million Thousand — but the whole set was a bit of letdown. I guess it shows how hard it is to play with that sort of intensity day in day out and please crowds with unrealistic expectations. It could be a “maturity issue” but most likely it’s because of burnout due to over touring the world over. Regardless, the crowd made it a fun time and the Black Lips are a type of band that can put together a memorable show even on an off day.
Black Lips performing “Drugs” from 200 Million Thousand in Munich:
You can also check out photos from the show in Munich here.
Tags: 59:1, Black Lips, Concert Photos, Concert Videos, Live
[...] to put on a great set that gave me more enjoyment than the riot-like atmosphere of the Black Lips just a couple of nights before. Graced with an allotment of new music from a recording session prior to their European tour, there [...]