Radiohead/Spiritualized
Max Bell Arena
Calgary
April 9, 1998
This is getting to be a pain - yet another six hours on the road through rain, sleet and hail to see the world's greatest art rock band play in the world's worst venue.
That would be Radiohead at the acoustically challenged Max Bell Arena last night. There is, unfortunately, no Edmonton show on this tour.
But from Prince last summer to Celine Dion this fall, as long as Cowtown gets the acts the Big Onion doesn't, there'll be a pilgrimage of fans down Highway 2. I'd estimate about 1,000 Edmonton fans made the trek to the concert last night. And you better believe it was worth it - Radiohead was bloody brilliant.
Following an opening set from Spiritualized - which seemed to rely more on droning and repetition than actual songs - Radiohead was every bit as great as I had hoped they would be. Even dreadful acoustics failed to dampen a show that was equal parts spooky, haunting subtlety and pure power - often within the same song.
Diminutive singer Thom Yorke was in fine form, delivering his lines with focused passion - one moment soft and sweet, the next moment enraged.
He joked during an interview in 1996 (Radiohead's last appearance in Edmonton) that "for our next album, we're going to go progressive rock, like Pink Floyd."
How close to the bone he came. The British quintet has clearly become an "art rock" band. They experiment with long arrangements, use strange instruments, sophisticated chord progressions and unusual rhythms. It's all put together without a trace of pretension. Last night, the band was not above screwing up a song, stopping and firing up where they left off. After all, it's only rock 'n' roll.
Radiohead's organic approach results in a cathartic experience for those lucky enough to see it live. Last night's crowd of 4,000 sang along, raised their fists and jumped in unison during the powerful bits. Given the excitement surrounding the group, it's also a testament to fan loyalty that there wasn't a lot of moshing or crowd surfing - at the request of the band. It's a request that's generally ignored. Yorke simply dedicated the beautiful, mellow No Surprises to a few trouble-makers at the front, adding an admonition, "I have to say, chaps, you're at the wrong show." It's also kind of hard to mosh to a glockenspiel.
No surprise again, the band did most of its latest, OK Computer - heralded by Britain's Q magazine as the best album ever made - starting with Airbag and ending more than 90 minutes later with the dramatic epic, Paranoid Android, my personal favorite.
Of the older material, Iron Lung stood out. It's one of those Radiohead trademark songs that seethes along quietly before exploding into a ferocious heavy metal chorus. Getting chills down your neck is always a good sign that you're witnessing greatness.
As was the case in 1996, Radiohead delivered what will surely go down as one of the best rock shows of the year. It's just too bad it had to be in Calgary.
Rating: 5/5
-Mike Ross Edmonton Sun
09.04.98