Black Lips lay the foundation stones for Flower Punk

As Black Lips bring a strange mishmash of blues, rock, doo-wop, country, and punk to India, Blender finds out more about this eccentric new age band from Atlanta

Isha Singh Sawhney

When a group of four after-school friends from Atlanta got together, and started a band, named Black Lips, their particularly brand of garage-flavoured flower-punk rock, in all its contradictions, would make them the most famous underground band that came with the dawn of the 21st century.

These seers of a rather sceptical generation, with their twisted interpretation of blues music, made music heavily peppered with 80s sounds. The Black Lips consisted originally of Cole Alexander on lead vocals, guitar and harmonica, Ben Eberbaugh on lead guitar, Jared Swilley on bass, and Joe Bradley on drums, when they released their first single.

After their second single and a handful of out-of-control live shows that led them to be banned from several Georgia venues, the band caught the attention of Greg Shaw at Bomp! Records, who signed the band to a recording deal.

Onstage madness
Black Lips had just cut their first self-titled album, and just before they began touring in 2002, a tragic road accident killed Ben Eberbaugh. They carried on with their tour with Ian St Pe, because they believed Eberbaugh would have wanted that. They wrote the song How Do You Tell A Child That Someone Has Died in homage to their late drummer, and years later penned the equally evocative Katrina, the very night the hurricane devastated their country.  Bad Kids, is another song, that brings to life in its lyrics the issues troubled teenagers face, and the reasons

Slowly, the band gathered a fan base that loved their energy and style - a rough mishmash of blues, rock, doo-wop, country, and punk. The Black Lips then jumped to record label, In the Red for the 2005 effort Let It Bloom.

The band that have opened for Mettlica and the Raconteurs, had a reputation for wild shows, that included vomiting, nudity, band members kissing (which had many fans thinking they were gay), fireworks and even flaming guitars. Today, the over the top shows have decreased in frequency, with the band talking about maturing.  One of their most talked about shows was in the nightclub Heaven in Londonn in September 2008, which ended with a classic stage invasion.

New offerings
The modern darkness of the new album, slated to be released in Feburary, 100 Million Thousand, is already being talked about. Black Lips new album is being called soul stirringly powerful and unpredictable.

Once awarded Most Hardworking Band by the New York Times, the indie band from Atlanta also has a penchant for playing in places that don’t get to see too many rock shows. Joe Bradly has even blogged about wanting “Sir. Richard Branson, the rebel billionaire, to open up his space shuttle thing, (so) we want to be the first band to play in space.”

Back on earth the band is currently touring in India, and have been at the Festival Of Noise in Mumbai. The band that never tires, or get sick, know they have to hold onto their crown of Indie Rock Kings. Their tour in India will also includes three dates headlining Campus Rock Idols.

Tour Schedule
01-16 Mumbai, India - Festival of New Noise
01-17 Pune, India - Raga Lawns, North Koregoan Park (Campus Rock Idols)
01-23 Chennai, India - Sir Mutha Venkatasubba Rao Concert Hall (Campus Rock Idols)
01-24 Calcutta, India - The Park
01-25 Bangalore, India - BRV Grounds, KSCA (Campus Rock Idols)