The Flaming Lips perform the world’s first bubble-dome concert.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in March 2020, numerous restrictions were put in place by world leaders to put a stop to the spread of the virus, with hopes to return to normal as soon as possible.

The wish to return to our old “normal” is a topic to be debated by scientists, government officials, families locked away in their homes, and of course, musicians. 

But The Flaming Lips weren’t going to let the pandemic dampen their spirits, pulling off two truly amazing socially distanced shows in their home state Oklahoma. In which fans were given their own giant inflatable hamster ball to party the night away in.

The concept came from frontman Wayne Coyne, who is often seen rolling over crowds in a Zorb ball during the band’s gigs.

Each show accommodated 100 bubbles, holding up to three people each, with band members encapsulated in a bubble of their own throughout the performance on stage.

Ahead of the show Wayne Coyne, posted a video on Instagram with instructions on the bubbles and how they would work. 

The bubbles, he said, hold enough oxygen for three people to breathe for “over an hour and 10 minutes” before they need to be refreshed, although a towel is needed to wipe down the condensation.

Camera operator, Nathan Poppe, also shared a thread on Twitter explaining the logistics of the bubbles stating “There’s a fancy high-frequency supplemental speaker inside each bubble as well as a water bottle, a fan, a towel and an ‘I gotta go pee/hot in here’ sign,”.

Attendees were able to remove their face coverings once they had safely entered the bubble but were required to put them back on if they had to leave the bubble for any reason.

Fans needing to leave had to roll their bubble to the exit and unzip it at the door.

During the performance, The Flaming Lips released brightly-colored balloons on top of the audience, featuring some in the form of the words “FUCK YOU COVID-19” (we feel you!).

The band played classics including Do You Realize, She Don’t Use Jelly and Race For The Prize alongside tracks from last year’s American Head album.

The show was a great success with one fan writing “The most innovative way to attend a show during a global pandemic. Outstanding,”

Another said. “Seriously though, funniest live act on the planet.”

In a post-pandemic world, will this be the future of how we watch our live bands? All we know is, we really want to go to a bubble concert!

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