MARCH OF 1000 FLAMING SKELETONS

[UPDATED: October 23rd] Happy Halloween (parade day)!

The “Ghouls Gone Wild” Halloween parade starts at 7 PM tonight. For a taste of what will go down, watch highlights from past years here. The last segment of the parade is The Flaming Lips’ March of 1000 Flaming Skeletons. Wayne Coyne recently spoke to News OK about the festivities, which they’ve run every (weekend before) Halloween since 2007, “I’ll be the there in the space bubble at the end of it, bringing in the new unexpected. I guess I’m kind of viewed as like the Santa Claus at the end of the Thanksgiving Day parade. At the end of this Halloween parade, you have me in this space bubble with a bunch of freaks all around me…”

“And you know we always prepare some Flaming Lips music for this thing. I know it seems like it’s all about skeletons and fire, but there’s music along with it.”

“When we’re touring and it gets close to this time, I always try to remind people they have to come here and visit, so I’m sure there’s gonna be some people from some of these places we’ve played in Europe recently. I’m sure there’s going to be a few that just do the trek ’cause they travel a lot anyway, and they’re weirdos and they have money and they wanna just go to weird places, you know?”

Presumably, Michael Ivins will lead the 1000 Skeletons, as in past years, with Wayne and the space bubble at the tail.

The same article also reported on Halloween proper, next weekend: “Coyne plans to pitch a giant tent on his sprawling property in the Classen-10-Penn area of midtown Oklahoma City and resurrect the “500-pound human brain” that the neighborhood kids went bonkers for last year.”

Coyne commented, “Whatever we do, as long as the kids around the neighborhood get to come and help us do it, I think that’s the best bit. It isn’t really even if it works very well. Sometimes the more elaborate we make it, the better the kids like it because they get involved and they get to see that we’re plugging in speakers and lights and smoke machines and things. That (stuff) is a lot of fun.”

“If the kids ask me a mathematics question, I just yell back, ‘The brain doesn’t do petty mathematics! That’s what your computers are for!'”

Halloween, as any long-time Flaming Lips fan can tell you, has always been a big deal for not just Coyne but is at the core of the very identity of the band.

“The idea that you get to make your own costume, you get to be a character and all that…it’s all these things that spark all levels of your imagination, like death and the temperature of the air and the time of year. And of course, there’s candy involved and skeletons involved and, you know, a lot of great (stuff).”

From Flaming Lips’ sent e-mail:

“Want to Participate in This Year’s MARCH OF 1000 FLAMING SKELETONS?

This October 23rd, The LIPS will once again host their annual MARCH OF 1000 FLAMING SKELETONS parade in downtown Oklahoma City’s Bricktown district, just a stones throw away from FLAMING LIPS ALLEY.

Last year’s third annual Ghouls Gone Wild event was a huge success that drew LIPS fans from around the globe. Naturally, this year’s Supernatural procession will be even more incendiary as festive floats, (in)appropriately adorned cars, walking groups and plenty of surprises along with 1000 strong undead snaking through the streets of Oklahoma City.

Order your costume bundle for this year’s parade now in the official Flaming Lips store.

You can wear your costume from previous years and participate in the parade. If you choose this option you can purchase just the T-shirt and the torch for $20. All the same rules apply, you must be 18 and you can only use the torch that we provide.
2010 Death March branded skeleton costumes come in 2 sizes: Standard and Large. If you order a STANDARD costume, you will only be able to select between a small or medium t-shirt. If you order a LARGE costume, you will only be able to select between a large or x-large shirt. Each bundle comes with a torch and 2010 March of 1000 Skeletons event t-shirt.
You may only purchase 2 costumes. Every costume must be for a person so we need a person’s name and e-mail address attached to each costume. You will receive an email from us if you order 2 so we can obtain the other person in your party’s name.
Every skeleton will be carrying a torch with real fire. Anyone in the parade must be 18. Anyone in the parade must sign a waiver.
You will be told at a later date when and where to be so be sure to enter a valid name, email, mailing address and phone number at checkout.
A person must have the ability to march in the parade for up to 2 hours.
If you do not show up at the assigned time to pick up your outfit and be in the parade you forfeit your fee and will not receive a refund.
There are no refunds.

~The Flaming Lips Crew