take chances, follow your convictions, or any of
that bullshit, you can be happy.”

Coyne presides over the crew here like a genial site supervisor, mostly wandering around ensuring everything is functioning, but quick to get his hands dirty should a problem arise. He and Ivins, the Lips’ only other original member, usually arrive at the venue between eight and ten on the morning of a show. While the Lips travel with a nine-person road crew, there is almost no aspect of the tour Coyne isn’t involved in or

couldn’t do himself if he had enough hands.

“The idea that you just make the music and some guys set up all your stuff—that works great for Thom Yorke,” Coyne says. “But for me, everything we do up there is about us. From the dumb carpet we stand on to the video. I’d just be too frazzled if I wasn’t up there making sure all these little things go right.”

Since the band’s beginnings back in Okla-
homa City in the early ’80s, he and Ivins have
kept things exceedingly DIY. Coyne has designed

World’s laziest roofer.

most of the album art. His wife Michelle does the band’s photos. His nephew Dennis used to be a member of the road crew and now fronts his own Lips-ish band (with two other ex-roadies), called Stardeath and White Dwarfs, who happen to be one of the opening acts on this tour. In fact, the earliest version of today’s temperamental video rig was built by Coyne in his backyard. Shane climbs down off it, carrying needle-nose pliers, which he later explains to me are used to open and close the LED screen door at the beginning of

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