Radiohead Return

There’s really no such thing as a bad Radiohead gig, because even Radiohead on an off night are better than most other bands at the top of their game. Touring again after a two and a half year break, the band are using their dates to road-test songs from their upcoming album - not touted for release until 2007. The songs are still works in progress and are being shaped nightly by practice and audience feedback. It takes a brave and confident band to let the world in on their creative process and this is reason number 28 why Radiohead are miles above their peers. Singer Thom Yorke in his self-deprecating way said at the Heineken Music Hall in Amsterdam, “We’re going to be doing some new songs tonight. There’s a bar over here (pointing to one side of the venue) and a bar over here.” But for anyone who’s more than a casual fan, seeing what the band come up with next is better than hearing them play the hits.

The Amsterdam show had its sublime moments, but was a bit patchy by Radiohead's lofty standards. If you had never seen the band live you probably wouldn’t have known anything was amiss, but there were mistakes, missed cues, and frustration expressed. During 'Paranoid Android' there was a technical malfunction just before the “rain down” part. Yorke stopped playing and said, “**** it. Let’s do the next one.” The crowd screamed, “Nooooo!” and he said, “Oh all right” and went on to finish the song gloriously. During 'You and Whose Army' guitarist Jonny Greenwood played the wrong line which caused Yorke to stop playing and practically fall off his piano bench laughing. Proof, perhaps that despite some people's views, the band don't take life too seriously. Drummer Phil Selway stopped playing during 'Street Spirit' for a while, whether from a technical problem (someone said one of his drums slipped down too low and he couldn’t reach it) or from emotion is a matter of debate. Sadly, the second scheduled Amsterdam show was cancelled due the sad death of Selway’s mother.

Understandably, There was some question as to how the band would perform three nights later in Blackpool given the unfortunate circumstances, but the first of two shows in the seaside resort town was the best of the tour so far, with the band at the top of their game in every way.

The setlist included almost the entire OK Computer album (save 'Fitter Happier,' which has never been played live and the rarely performed 'Let Down' which was played in Copenhagen the first and second nights of the tour). Also played were 'The National Anthem,' '2+2=5,' 'Exit Music,' 'Paranoid Android,' 'My Iron Lung,” “Where I End and You Begin,” “How to Disappear Completely,' 'Idioteque,' 'There There,' and 'Planet Telex.' In contrast to the glitches of Amsterdam, the band performed flawlessly and seemed to feed off the huge cheers and loud singing that accompanied each old favorite. Far from being somber, the mood onstage was light. During the emphatic encore of 'Black Star,' guitarist Jonny Greenwood shared a vocal mic with Ed O’Brien and sang the final chorus, something he’s never done before.