Creepy Crawlies: The Spiderbite Song

The Flaming Lips: The Spiderbite Song

[purchase]

After losing their guitar player, The Flaming Lips were in the most experimental stage of their career. Wayne Coyne famously conducted a symphony of 40 car stereos in a parking lot, and another symphony of people holding boom boxes. They also released Zaireeka, the mammoth set of four-discs designed to be played simultaneously. (Of Zaireeka, Coyne said that they were recording an album that "would be so different and exciting it will either make us millionaires or break us". It did neither.)

About this time, a strange series of events occurred: First, drummer Steven Drozd was apparently bitten by a spider, and his arm was almost needlessly amputated. (There is speculation about the true nature of his injuries, but I've read nothing authoritative). Second, bass player Michael Ivins was in a near fatal, and bizarre, hit and run car accident. Third, Wayne Coyne's father died following a battle with cancer.

Following Zaireeka, The Lips released their critically acclaimed masterpiece, Soft Bulletin, on which we find The Spiderbite Song. The Spiderbite Song beautifully chronicles two of the events that the band faced in the preceding year, and the marriage of Wayne Coyne's brother, Mark.

On a related note: The spider pictured above is a Brown Recluse. I don't recommend it, but if you really want to gross yourself out, do a Google image search for "brown recluse spider bite". Not something you want to have happen to you!