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Formed after front man Wayne Coyne stole a collection of instruments from his local church hall, The Flaming Lips have grown from strange underground oddities to Grammy-winning international stars with a highly individual brand of psychedelic indie pop. Spending years trekking around the independent scene making scratchy, experimental records and supporting the likes of Butthole Surfers, the band was signed by Warner Bros in 1990. Early single She Don't Use Jelly became a college radio hit and earned them a guest appearance on the TV show Beverly Hills 90210, but it wasn't until their ninth album The Soft Bulletin (1999) that they made any real breakthrough. The album's follow-up Yoshimi Battles Pink Robots (2002) received an even bigger reaction, gaining huge critical acclaim and producing the hit singles Do You Realize?? and Fight Test. The band quickly earned a reputation for extravagant stage shows featuring pyrotechnics, fake blood and the bizarre sight of Coyne crowd surfing inside a plastic zorbing ball. And their UK Number 6 album At War With The Mystics (2006) cemented their reputation as one of rock's most brilliantly eccentric acts. Artist biography compiled by BDS/West 10. All rights reserved
