Flaming Lips Get ‘N Sync

Justin Timberlake took his guest appearance as Flaming Lips bassist
seriously enough to develop a blood blister. Despite not being
plugged in, Timberlake, dressed in a dolphin suit, dutifully
thumped along to “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt. 1” during
last Thursday night’s taping of British TV show Top of the
Pops. Lips frontman Wayne Coyne discovered Timberlake’s
affliction after the performance when he entered the ‘N Sync
singer’s dressing room to thank him.

“It was just Justin and a friend of his, and they were talking
about needles,” recounts Coyne. “And I’m like, ‘Oh Jesus, maybe
they’re getting ready to shoot up some cocaine or something.’ And
then I realize that he’s got a blood blister from jamming the bass
so hard in the three minutes our song went. Just to prove that he’s
no sissy, he’s popping the blister himself with a needle he got
from the wardrobe department.”

Although early returns couldn’t decide what was more foreign,
Timberlake wearing an animal suit or playing a musical instrument,
Coyne insists it wasn’t a joke. “I didn’t want him to think we were
all up there making fun of him, because I sincerely asked him to
come up. I thought it would be a great moment and I just wanted him
to know I’m not out to get him or anything.”

The two camps crossed paths at BBC Radio 1 while both were
waiting to be interviewed. Coyne propositioned Timberlake and the
teen idol readily agreed to play bass, and then, with some coaxing,
don the dolphin suit.

“I can see why people like him,” says Coyne of Timberlake. “He’s
energetic, and he’s fun. I think these people from these two sort
of reverse universes really are just two guys doing the same sort
of thing, and it’s really the world that perceives them so
differently. We’re both just in England looking for some ice to go
in our Diet Coke, and it really comes down to the same sort of
thing.”