Radiohead

[MoMack]

Just saw Radiohead in Sydney last week.. curious about everyone else's thoughts?

My impression is that they were good, but tried to be a lot better then they are, and a lot more rock starish then I expected. The dude that plays with all the weird electronic stuff sort of brought it down for me. When I concentrated on ignoring that it was awesome... very Nirvana-esque to my ears. Supposedly is was an "old-school" radio head show. I've never listened to them til that night.

The crowd was absolutely lame. Seated the whole time. The floor standing politely and mostly quietly. It seemed to be upsetting the lead singer, Tom York.

Also very ryhthem driven music... not much soloing, and no, showcasing of the base or other guitarist or drummer really.

I enjoyed it, but wouldn't do it again unless it was very different circumstances. ie. not in Sydney. Good music, but maybe a better CD then concert?

Any thoughts? Fans? hatemail for me?

[NewRider]

Hey Morgan, good to see you on here again... having a good time down under?

[Booche]

I've loved Radiohead for years, but never got a chance to see them until last summer. It was one of the best shows I have ever seen. Those boys are snake charmers.

[Guest Low Roller]

((((jealous))))

I've seen Radiohead 5 times now... Probably my favorite band. Best years have to be 1998, 2000, and 2003.

[c-towns]

Johnny Greenwood makes some amazing crazy sounds.

Two thumbs up from this guy.

[paisley]

first Radiohead show I went to I expected to hate... some sorta lame brit pop extravaganza I figured... was left speechless, totally blown away regardless of how much I really didn't want to be

06-04-1996 Varsity Arena, Toronto, Canada

my iron lung

bones

electioneering

high & dry

i promise

street spirit

planet telex

anyone can play guitar

stop whispering

nice dream

black star

lift

creep

lurgee

just

blow out

fake plastic trees

bullet proof

lucky

the bends review By JANE STEVENSON (Toronto Sun): When British band Radiohead took the stage at Varsity Arena Saturday night for their encore, gangly lead guitarist-keyboard player Jon Greenwood approached the microphone and said his first words of the evening. Unfortunately, they were unintelligible. "You have to speak loud to these nice people," said diminutive, charming lead singer-guitarist Thom Yorke, who then repeated Greenwood's comments for the benefit of the sold-out crowd of 4,900. "He said, `There's a lot of love in here and thanks a lot for coming.' " Truer words were never spoken.

The audience, who gladly waited through two opening acts, Treblecharger and Welsh singer-songwriter David Gray, in the sweltering arena, appeared to be diehard `Radioheads' for the most part. They cheered, danced and moshed their way through an hour-and-half set by the five-man band from Oxford, England. And Radiohead, who last played here in December at the Warehouse, responded in kind with a thoroughly entertaining if not outstanding show. The main bug of the night was the sound mix, which left bassist Colin Greenwood and drummer Phil Selway murky and overpowered by the guitar attack of Yorke, the other Greenwood (they're brothers) and Ed O' Brien, who also provided backup vocals. Fortunately for us, Yorke's gorgeous choirboy voice - perhaps one of the finest instruments in rock today - wasn't drowned out. You only really realize his incredible range when you try to sing along to such hits as High And Dry, Fake Plastic Trees, Just and Creep.

But Yorke's powerful presence is more than his voice. The spiky-haired, frail and boyish redhead was a strange-looking mix between Martin Short, Peter Pan and Judy Garland (in her pixie stage) dressed in a red Gameboy T-shirt and jeans. With or without a guitar - he alternated between electric and acoustic - his hands often fluttered up to a face that distorted as his eyes closed to hit the high notes. He jumped around and shook his guitar, and at one point performed a backward somersault. Sensing the crowd's overwhelming support, Radiohead tried out some new songs like Electioneering and Lift, which went over just as well as the better known material.

And Yorke - more often than not - introduced each song. "This is a song about sex in the morning," he said before launching into Black Star. "It's the cheeriest number we have." Could have fooled the crowd, who were all smiles no matter what Radiohead played.

seen a few shows since and have always been impressed

[NewRider]

That Varsity Arena show did kick ass, that was my second time seeing Radiohead the first being the year before at The Warehouse. I enjoyed the Warehouse show better because it was a smaller show and it was my first time seeing the band.

This had to be my favorite Radiohead show though...

Opera House - Toronto, Canada

June 2, 1997

SETLIST

lucky

my iron lung

airbag

(nice dream)

exit music (for a film)

karma police

talk show host

fake plastic trees

paranoid android

bones

climbing up the walls

no surprises

the bends

electioneering

just

1st Encore:

subterranean homesick alien

planet telex

street spirit (fade out)

the tourist

2nd Encore:

thinking about you

I remember scalpers selling tickets for like $200 outside the show. That second encore just floored me though... WOW!

[paisley]

yeah, I'm still kickin myself for not finding a way to that Opera House show... nice to hear you were at that (and at Varsity bro! first person I've met who was)

[Douglas]

mmmm....Radiohead...

I was brought to tears in Montreal last summer. I'd have to hear your show though MoMack to comment on it. But when the crowd isn't into it (at all! Yikes!), I could understand the sour taste left behind. We had some "issues" in Toronto with the lifeless crowd, but we ended up moving and finding other radioheadheads and had a fantastic time!

The Johnny stuff might be better if you can see it...I think LowRoller might have some vcd's if I'm not mistaken???

[Guest Low Roller]

I sure do! And DVDs!! Nyahahaha!!!

[TimmyB]

In my humble opinion Radiohead is the best band to come out of the UK since U2. And 'OK Computer' is the best album of the past ten years.

I had tickets to see Radiohead at Maple Leaf Gardens in 1998, but passed it up to see Eric Clapton at the Gund Arena. My favorite guitarist ever is EC so it was a easy decision to make.

I finally saw Radiohead at the Air Canada Centre's Sears Theatre on OCT 17, 2000. Then I saw them again AUG 3, 2001 with The Beta Band (another great UK group). And Finally on OCT 15, 2003 at the Concert Hall at Skydome. All the gigs were amazing and I look forward to seeing them again.

I read recently that Radiohead have been in the studio again so hopefully they will be releasing another record soon.