Radiohead live in Victoria Park

A far sunnier and happier evening for the Radiohead concert at our old stomping ground in the East end. The music quality was absolutely top notch - a great night after 15 years of faith, it was nice to finally see them, even if they were only specs in red pants.

A brief review from the local paper...

“Did the cat get your tongue…?” Seemingly not as Victoria Park erupts as one to the opening salvo of ‘15 Step’, an obvious (but not unwelcome) first offering given its lead position on the band’s latest LP, In Rainbows. The first three songs aired this evening – you can’t really say ‘tonight’ given the sun’s some time from setting – are taken from Radiohead’s pay-what-you-will seventh album, ‘Bodysnatchers’’ savage basslines and insistent percussion rightfully stealing away onlookers’ reservations, its players the puppet masters orchestrating an undulating sea of revelry beneath them (and from their lofty perch everyone is below them). ‘All I Need’ slows the pace marginally, and from here it’s evident those coming for ‘Creep’, for ‘Fake Plastic Trees’ and ‘Paranoid Android’, are going to leave disappointed.

While it may seem churlish of a band to neglect their most-successful single to date – ‘Paranoid Android’ peaked at number three in 1997 – such omissions are meant as statements of intent. Radiohead have never stood still, never rested on their laurels; they’re the only band in the UK, maybe the world, playing shows of this scale but still absolutely of contemporary relevance in an artistic capacity. Bon Jovi, The Rolling Stones: they can play stadiums, but when was the last time a new record of theirs was worth your money over a greatest hits set? Muse? Come on – they’ve been riding Radiohead’s coattails ever since ‘Uno’ broke the 75 in ’99. Radiohead continue to inspire, and those seeing them for the first time here, now, will never forget the experience.