Radiohead Back In Command
Radiohead/ Willy Mason There are no bands more competitive and calculating than Radiohead. They release a stellar record, tour it for a year,
then disappear for another two. Then, just when you almost forget
about them, they throw together a tour like this one, playing
elegant theatre spaces and selling out every city in a matter of
minutes. It's as if they simply want to remind everybody that
they're the most talented and creative group in the world. If their
first of two sold-out shows at the Hummingbird Centre was any
indication, their fans didn't need any reminding.
From the second Thom Yorke, shrouded in darkness, launched into
"You And Whose Army," the room was in hysterics. The audience
cheered every tempo change, long note and moment of silence - it was
a display of utter insanity. People truly lose their minds over Radiohead. Excluding the new material, the set focused predominently
on Kid A and Amnesiac. "National Anthem," "Morning Bell" and a
slightly lacklustre "Dollars And Cents" were all featured early in
the main set. Band is a tenuous noun to associate with Radiohead, because even
though they all stand on a stage and perform music, they don't do it
like anyone else. Their positively insane stage backdrop was the
first sign of that. Tiny cameras were located all over the stage and
images of all five members were projected on screens that looked
like shards of broken glass. The lighting was an epileptic's
nightmare, often strobing to instill urgency in Radiohead's already
claustrophobic catalogue. As for the new material, I hadn't been thinking much about March
2007 (the tentative release period for the band's new album), but I
am now. The main question I heard from fans after the show was,
"What does the new stuff sound like?" Surprisingly, the new songs,
which included "15 Step," "Open Pick" and "Bangers 'N Mash," were
heavy on guitars, quick in tempo and, unsurprisingly, great.
Presumably, most of them are still works in progress and there's
tweaking to be done here and there (encore track "Apreggi" was
solid, but could use a bit of a kick at some point). That didn't
prevent any of them from being received with the same rapturous
applause as the hits. The only surprise was how few "hits" there were. The Bends was
represented by only "Street Spirit." Hail To The Thief''s downbeat
"The Gloaming" provided the show with one of its few lulls.
Thankfully the record's best track, "Myxomatosis," was represented,
with Colin Greenwood's thundering bassline vibrating the floor. Even
OK Computer's three most famous tracks, "No Surprises," "Paranoid
Android" and "Karma Police," were neglected in favour of "Airbag,"
"Exit Music" and "Lucky." This is a minor complaint. The fact is that the band played a set that was near perfect
technically in a building that couldn't possibly have more pristine
sound. Johnny Greenwood and Ed O'Brien played with passion, and
Yorke, whose voice is as powerful now as it has ever been, was in
great spirits for the entire set, as he laughed at hecklers and made
fun of rowdy fans in the front. It seems he's finally gotten over
the whole tortured rock star thing for good. And if that was perhaps
the only thing standing in Radiohead's way before, there's no
stopping them now.
Hummingbird Centre
Toronto
June 7, 2006
Noah Love
ChartAttack
08.06.06