The Flaming Lips Performance Stage - H 2012
Indie rockers The Flaming Lips are giving hip-hop icon Jay-Z a run for his money, or rather, a run for his world record.
The band revealed on Wednesday, at the stroke of midnight on the east coast, that they will be featured during the upcoming O Music Awards, where they will attempt to perform the most live concerts in multiple cities in 24 hours. The Guinness world record, currently held by Jay-Z, stands at seven.
The Flaming Lips will begin their eight-city trek across the Mississippi Delta on June 27, kicking off in Memphis and wrapping up in New Orleans. Along the way, the Lips will hit the stage to join a wide range of artists during their already in progress shows.
“Like when the Sex Pistols did their one and only American tour, the weird mid-south (Memphis to New Orleans), has something very absurd about it when contrasted with radical visionary musicians… Elvis and Jazz were at one time radical, but are now mainstream tourist attractions…,” said Wayne Coyne, lead singer of The Flaming Lips. “I don’t remember if I was asked or if I volunteered… But, I’ve accepted the job of, not DRIVING, but commandeering the Magical Mystery Merry Prankster bus… I’ve accepted the attempt at breaking the world record of performing 8 shows in 24 hours. And I’ve explained to the music freaks at MTV, VH1 and CMT that I am not a host… But, I always liked the way Jerry Lewis would get all sweaty toward the end of his yearly telethon…To play and sing Flaming Lips songs at 8:00 in the morning… Well… I’m open to new experiences…”
With each of its previous cycles, the O Music Awards have broken records. First, rapper Chiddy of Chiddy Bang rapped for 9 hours, 16 minutes and 22 seconds, shattering the record of Longest Freestyle Rap and the Longest Marathon Rapping in Las Vegas in April 2011. Six months later, the OMAs took over Hollywood’s famed club, The Roxy, where 13 dancers seized the record for Longest Dance Team Marathon. Easily their most ambitious attempt yet, this time they will face more uncertainty than ever — including flat tires, breakdowns and detours – all while streaming live for 24-hours straight.
“The chances of us pulling this off and breaking the record are slim, but that’s what keeps it exciting,” Shannon Connolly, vp of digital music strategy, Viacom Music Group, previously told THR. “And honestly, we know from looking at the first two shows that the record attempts that resonate with the audience — that they want something real. They want something that’s authentic, that feels like there’s high stakes, that feels like something unexpected could happen, that feels like it’s not perfect and produced. The uber theme of this whole thing is the outcome is not predetermined on every level.”
The 24 categories selected for this cycle include Best Online Concert Experience, Best Protest Song, Most Adorable Viral Star and Best Vintage Revival, mixed in with existing categories, including Fan Army FTW, which references the boy band resurgence featuring nominees like One Direction and The Wanted; Must Follow Artist on Twitter, with nominees spanning pop to punk to hip hop; Digital Genius Award, Best Web Born Artist, Best Music App, and Best Artist with a Cameraphone. Full list of categories and nominees can be found here.
Additional information about the event, including performers, route, venues and more, are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
