Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips performing in his 24-hour tour.
Friday, June 27 at 6:30 PM in Memphis, Tennessee mayor A.C. Wharton introduced the Flaming Lips on Beale Street at Hardy Park as they kicked off their 24-hour tour. This tour was a successful attempt to beat the Guinness World Records current record for the most live performances in 24 hours held by Jay-Z and amounting in seven performances. The Flaming Lips, according to Bam’s Blog, are an Oklahoma City based, ‘psychedelic’ rock group, and they beat the current record by playing eight shows in 24 hours. Bam’s Blog article also explained that the Flaming Lips race to beat this record was in part for MTV’s O Music Awards, which is “a digitally driven event that recognizes artists, fans and innovators within the digital music culture”.
Wayne Coyne in a press conference before the opening performance in Memphis, TN.
The O Music Awards website live streamed the bands 24 hour journey and it became the “world’s first 24-hour live-streamed awards show”. According to Rolling Stone’s, Flaming Lips Break Jay-Z’s Record for Most Shows in 24 Hours viewers live-streaming the event were able to navigate between three different cameras showcasing various scenes along the way; such as on the tour bus, at the eight different show venues and a more “behind the scene” look in the control rooms.
Along the way the Lips were able to welcome various other artists onto the stage as a part of this record setting journey; such as, Alan Palomo of the Neon Indian’s, the Nocturnals, New Fumes, Grace Potter, Jackson Browne, Hunter Hayes and many more. The eight performances began here in Memphis, Tennessee and the Lips traveled through Mississippi, stopping for performances in Clarksdale, Oxford, Jackson, Hattiesburg and Biloxi along the way and there was also a performance in Baton Rouge, Louisiana before the final performance in New Orleans.
According to the Rolling Stone’s article, Wayne Coyne, the Flaming Lips front man, told reporters, “When I was 16, this was the dream- the inclusive adventure of touring. Honestly, I don’t think a lot of artists now would look very good doing this.” Coyne also explained that in the beginning he was not too interested in being in the Guinness Book of World Records because he was more devoted to the journey of the 24-hour tour but before performing his last performance on the tour in New Orleans he referred to the new record achievement as an “absurd joy”.