Radiohead

[J1mbo]

Having had my first ever live Radiohead experience at Leeds this year I'd welcome a slot at Glastonbury with open arms..!

[Wiggum]

Not to be controversial, but really?

I'll admit I'm no Radiohead obssessive, but I've always liked their stuff and own several albums and was keen to see them more than anyone else that weekend. However I thought the Leeds set was utterly underwhelming, and judging by the droves of people leaving the field throughout I wasn't the only one. I admire the way in which they've been willing to push their music in new and *ahem* interesting directions, but playing to a festival crowd is not the same as playing to a set of earnest fans - the complete lack of most of their earlier (and dare I say it, more well known) material seemed churlish in the extreme. The rapturous reception that greeted 'Paranoid Android' and 'Just' compared to the dumbfounded response to many of the newer songs was almost embarrassing...

[J1mbo]

Maybe that's just more to do with the crowd at Leeds? They're without doubt one of the top 3 live bands I've ever seen play. Possibly the best. I really could not imagine walking away from the stage while they're playing.

[Wiggum]

Interesting. What was the setlist like? I know the vary it quite a lot. I saw them in Dublin last year and it was pretty varied. Songs from every album were in the set. I suppose I'm maybe biased since they're one of my favourite bands in fairness. I suppose it's maybe like Blur at T in the Park '99 when most of the set was from the '13' album. I liked that too though!

[Toilet Duck]

The festival setlist last year was pretty much the same as the setlist they played at their own gigs...most of In Rainbows was played, with a fair sprinkling from their back catalogue, but more album tracks than hits....I loved every set I saw from them last year, but some of my friends were less than impressed (the previous tour when they aired creep again was more to their liking). I suppose it depends on what type of radiohead you like more...me, I tend to listen to Kid A onwards more often than not (but still love the early stuff too)...understandably, there's folk who prefer Radiohead as a rock band.

[Vieuphoria]

The Set List at Reading was incredible... and the performance was the best Reading has seen. The best gig Ive been to... just phenomenal.

[J1mbo]

I think you've hit the nail squarely on the head here:

more album tracks than hits

Edited December 1, 2009 by J1mbo

[Vieuphoria]

I think you've hit the nail squarely on the head here:

Frankly, a decent festival set tends to require that you crank out stuff that a wider spectrum of your audience will appreciate. You don't have to of course, but in general it works much better than grumpily playing obscure b-sides (not that Radiohead did this, but it was very album track heavy).

Indeed. And I'm going to stick my neck out here and tentatively suggest that a goodly proportion of the Leeds crowd were expecting just that (myself included). Even the 16 year old kids clearly knew the older songs best because those are the ones still played in every local indie dive and on XFM. And we were all rather disappointed as a result...there was a LOT of talk from my friends about "wanting that two hours of my life back"....oops.

Oh, and playing 'Creep' at Reading but not Leeds? C'mon guys...

[Craigston]

Am watching the 2003 set on youtube now... it's stupidly good. I listen to the '97 one on my ipod almost every day - I cannot think of a better way to celebrate Glastos 40th year!

[J1mbo]

I would argue that you have kind of contradicted yourself here.... They played pretty much totally different sets at both gigs allowing themselves to play more material. Plus if you look at the Best Of release... they played most of that and a lot of new album stuff.... i don't see what teh fuss is about. Radiohead are hardly Metallica, they arent going to play the same set every time you see them, they dont have a lot of "hits" and such so it seems illogical to demand a set filled with them. Plus Radiohead rarely play Creep nowadays... so im assuming they did it for Reading as it was a special ocassion of sorts... Leeds wasn't.

[J1mbo]

My 5th time seeing them @ Leeds: their best I've seen yet eclipsing even '97 Glasto.

Keeping fingers crossed....

[Vieuphoria]

the reason i said you contradicted yourself was merely that by playing different sets at both Reading and Leeds they managed to pack in more songs for both crowds. But then again i suppose they are two different crowds, so its up to them i what they play i suppose.

The reason the large number of the set was built up by Kid A and past, because Radiohead have never played much from the first 2 albums for nearing 10 years now. But the "Rock" Radiohead hasn't existed in even longer... But like i said before Reading was a special occasion as it was 15 year since they last played, and as such honoured that by sneaking an earlier track or two. Thing is, if you went to see a band for music they released 14/15/16 years ago then it's rather silly in your part as the band are no longer the same. But the amount of In Rainbows tracks is simple... when a band tour an album (even at a festival) they will always play that album. Its one of Radiohead's best albums, its their newest album, they are touring that album... they will play the songs.

The amount of people leaving is due to the crowd, not the band. I would say it's more to do with the type of crowd that are attracted to Reading/Leeds these days... Huge bands will always loose out to "Popular" or more "In" acts at the time. People went to the festival for bands like Kings of Leon, Kaiser Chiefs, The Prodigy etc... bands i don't necessarily have a problem with, but none of the people that really went to that festival for those bands were at Radiohead... most probably la Roux. People that go to it used to love Alternative acts, but recently it isn't like that. Not that I'm complaining, but people there don't want Radiohead for some reason. Whereas Glasto is aimed at more Alt acts... therefore better suited.

[fowls]

I wasn't very happy with the Reading set. I've seen them 5 times now, and had a great time the 3 times I was up the front, but a not so great time the 2 times I was further back (and at Reading I was further back). The sound at Reading was horrendously low, so even the rock songs sounded really washed out and laid back. Other than that, the atmosphere just wasn't there for me like it usually is or maybe I've seen them enough times for it to start getting stale? Would probably have enjoyed it a lot more if I was in the golden circle though.

It was definitely the worst performance I've seen from them, talked to some fans who agreed and some who said it was amazing, so I guess it split the crowd.

Edited December 1, 2009 by fowls

[J1mbo]

the reason i said you contradicted yourself was merely that by playing different sets at both Reading and Leeds they managed to pack in more songs for both crowds. But then again i suppose they are two different crowds, so its up to them i what they play i suppose.

[Vieuphoria]

It was more just that you said they didnt play the "hits"... but i said that becuase they played both Reading and Leeds they probably played most of the hits between the two. But then tried saying that it probably didnt matter as both gigs are separete and therefore my point there didnt matter really.

Yes, some of the audienc might have only known the older material... but again, not the bands fault. If you go to a festival only knowing one or two albums (or even 3 or 4 songs) from a headlining act with a 2 hour slot, with 7 albums, and countless songs. Radiohead are not a singles band, they are an album band... their headling slots at Glastonbury have shown examples of this... Most of the set being crowd pleasing album tracks... with a few hits thrown in.

In all fairness the album came out in 2007, there have been singles and the songs have been played live for ages. I think we like different things from headlining slots with bands like them. Crowd pleasers aren't always old singles that they always play... they are albums trakcs that are really popular and always go down well. Some of the highlights of the set for me was The National Anthem, 2+2=5, All i Need etc etc. I think Pablo Honey is a very under rated album, but i just wouldn't fit in the Radiohead set we got at the festival. We got Creep, thats one of the major songs im sure you would have been expecting... i can see why you'd be annoyed... but again, there was no real reason for them to play a song they are sick of playing twice in a single weekend.

I don't know actually... lots of the bands i enjoyed at Reading this year played largely new material... i enjoyed every one of them. Common sense doesn't come into it, when a band have made it as big as they have, its certain they are doing soemthing right. The thing is, Radiohead (like i said before), nowadays thrive from their albums... their sets have always been filled with album tracks. I think it would be pretty shit for a band to give the same "best of" set every festival they played as it would get very dull for both band and crowd. Radiohead dont have many "hits" as such, yeah mid/late 90s they did... not any more. But yes... In Rainbows i think is great, you dont.. personal taste.

The wrong sort of Radiohead.... I just find it hard to believe that anyone goes to see a band at a festival and no expect them to play more recent songs as apposed to songs that are nearing 20 yeears old. Not that its a bad thing to expect something from a band, but its not like there isnt a wealth of songs for them to play... going to dissapoint someone.

I think the problem was... i went to Reading.. you went to Leeds. We saw 2 different sets. I think the setlist we got was blinding, the light show was incredible, and the preformance was great... best gig of my life. You were dissapointed by the setlist... fair enough.

I hate to think im coming across like one of "those Radiohead fans".. who cant hear a bad word said about them... becuase im really not. I'm just interested in peoples thoughts... im not arguing that they are the best thing sine sliced bread... just thouhgt id clafiy before i get the reputation of being a pompous radiohead arse.

[meltedwelly]

radiohead at leeds = amazing

who gives a toss if they don't play hits...if they can bang out tunes and entertain that's what counts in my book. perhaps the greatest performance I've ever seen by a band let alone just at Leeds.

end.

[J1mbo]

I don't think your a pompous Radiohead arse Vieuphoria! - merely more in tune with the newer stuff than me.

I wasn't expecting much of Pablo Honey at Leeds but I had imagined that we might get a few more off the other two rocky albums. Perhaps this was wildy optimistic, but I really don't think I was on my own.

Ultimately I think the gig divided people very firmly down the middle between those who love the new stuff and those who don't. Personally I quite like a lot of it, but don't think it works well as big outdoor gig material. I find it far too noodling and inward looking. Indoors it might have a bit more mood.

(Incidentally I wasn't referring to singles but simply audience favourites when I mentioned 'hits'.)

I'm repeating myself a bit now so I'll stop - it was all about my suprise at stuff like this from Meltedwelly:

"...perhaps the greatest performance I've ever seen by a band let alone just at Leeds."

Makes me feel like me and evryone I know were at a different gig!

[Vieuphoria]

Yeah, but then again for a lot of Radiohead fans, and festival crowds in general the most popular songs (bar the obvious ones) are album tracks... The National Anthem etc. Plus In Rainbows has pretty much had half of the album taken off to be singles... so its easy to see why there was a heavy IR influence there.

But yeah, shame you didn't enoy it.. I hate seeing bands dissapoint me.

[Vieuphoria]

Actually... does anyone know where i can find the entire set from Reading this year... i want it all on video. But for some reason the BBC didnt put it all up, and Youtube seems pretty mcuh empty. Anyone got, or know of where to get either the BBC cut down version or the whole thing?

[Ed209]

Just as an aid and source for peoples arguments

Reading setlist:

1. Creep

2. The National Anthem

3. 15 Step

4. There There

5. All I Need

6. Nude

7. 2+2=5

8. The Gloaming

9. Climbing Up the Walls

10. Street Spirit (Fade Out)

11. Reckoner

12. Karma Police

13. Weird Fishes/Arpeggi

14. Just

15. Idioteque

16. Exit Music (For A Film)

17. Bodysnatchers

18. You and Whose Army?

19. Lucky

20. These Are My Twisted Words

21. Jigsaw Falling Into

22. Paranoid Android

23. Everything In Its Right Place

Leeds setlist:

*

1. 15 Step

2. Airbag

3. There There

4. All I Need

5. Lucky

6. Nude

7. Morning Bell

8. Weird Fishes/Arpeggi

9. 2+2=5

10. A Wolf At The Door

11. Videotape

12. (Nice Dream)

13. The Gloaming

14. Reckoner

15. The National Anthem

16. Bodysnatchers

17. Idioteque

18. You and Whose Army?

19. These Are My Twisted Words

20. Jigsaw Falling Into Place

21. Paranoid Android

22. Just

23. Everything In Its Right Place

To be honest apart from ordering there isn't too much difference. Neither are particularly 'hit' heavy. Reading got Karma Police and Creep, however Leeds got Street Spirit. Both are good sets, and having seen Radiohead on a number of occasions i actually think Leeds got the better live songs (e.g. Airbag, Morning Bell are both immense live).

Edited December 2, 2009 by Ed209

[J1mbo]

Just as an aid and source for peoples arguments

Reading setlist:

1. Creep

2. The National Anthem

3. 15 Step

4. There There

5. All I Need

6. Nude

7. 2+2=5

8. The Gloaming

9. Climbing Up the Walls

10. Street Spirit (Fade Out)

11. Reckoner

12. Karma Police

13. Weird Fishes/Arpeggi

14. Just

15. Idioteque

16. Exit Music (For A Film)

17. Bodysnatchers

18. You and Whose Army?

19. Lucky

20. These Are My Twisted Words

21. Jigsaw Falling Into

22. Paranoid Android

23. Everything In Its Right Place

Leeds setlist:

*

1. 15 Step

2. Airbag

3. There There

4. All I Need

5. Lucky

6. Nude

7. Morning Bell

8. Weird Fishes/Arpeggi

9. 2+2=5

10. A Wolf At The Door

11. Videotape

12. (Nice Dream)

13. The Gloaming

14. Reckoner

15. The National Anthem

16. Bodysnatchers

17. Idioteque

18. You and Whose Army?

19. These Are My Twisted Words

20. Jigsaw Falling Into Place

21. Paranoid Android

22. Just

23. Everything In Its Right Place

To be honest apart from ordering there isn't too much difference. Neither are particularly 'hit' heavy. Reading got Karma Police and Creep, however Leeds got Street Spirit. Both are good sets, and having seen Radiohead on a number of occasions i actually think Leeds got the better live songs (e.g. Airbag, Morning Bell are both immense live).

[Ed209]

Leeds didn't get Street Spirit. Reading did. And Creep. And Karma Police...on top of Lucky, Just, Paranoid Android that we had oop north.

Much better set list for Reading in my opinon...

[Vieuphoria]

nah i really love the Reading set more... so much better, and more what i wanted to see.

[Toilet Duck]

They are both blinding setlists...I've left Radiohead gigs disappointed twice (and I've seen them at least 10 times, I actually can't remember how many times I've seen them, 3 times last summer for a start!)...Both times I was disappointed it was due to the band themselves just not feeling it and were on the greatest hits tour in '06...it just didn't compare with every other tour I've seen them do. This current tour is up there with the hail to the thief tour as the best they've ever done...And I get the criticism of Radiohead playing album tracks at a festival like glasto where people buy their ticket not knowing who is playing, but most of the people at Reading/Leeds go for the lineup. Simple as. It's billed as the cutting edge in new music, but the fact that people were walking off due to not knowing the most recent output from the headliners seems to me to suggest that they are fashionistas who like a scene rather than actually liking the music...

[Toilet Duck]

Actually... does anyone know where i can find the entire set from Reading this year... i want it all on video. But for some reason the BBC didnt put it all up, and Youtube seems pretty mcuh empty. Anyone got, or know of where to get either the BBC cut down version or the whole thing?

Edited December 2, 2009 by Toilet Duck