Radiohead play 'em off the field

Radiohead
Corn Exchange
Edinburgh
May 21 , 2003

Rating: 5/5

APPARENTLY there was some other big event worth watching last night. But Radiohead gave the not-quite packed Corn Exchange more drama, passion and excitement than a penalty shoot-out, with a triumphant return playing any opposition off the field.

Expectations were high for this gig, one of only a handful on a "club" tour to be followed by a larger arena run later this year. While for most bands the Corn Exchange is a big stage, for Radiohead it’s the equivalent of an intimate night out. And while the chin-stroking aspects of the critical reverence in which they’re held can emerge in seated venues, playing a more rock environment allows them to get back to their roots.

Entering to giddy applause, they kick off bravely with new material from the forthcoming Hail to the Thief album, which gets as good a reception as most bands’ old hits. Some at least have downloaded the album online, which is handy as at one point the band ask the crowd to help out with a complicated handclap thing going on in the spooky "We Suck Young Blood".

Having disappointed some by veering into experimental territory with Kid A and Amnesiac, Radiohead seem to be reclaiming the awesome rock power which originally made them so special.

Newies such as the Orwellian 2+2=5But that’s not to say that they’ve gone all conventional. There’s a quirky edge to some of the newer songs, manifesting in strange drumbeat patterns or electronic effects, even edging into dub territory on the weird (and not entirely successful) Backdrifts. The atmosphere they create is boosted by really effective lighting, bathing the cavernous venue in chilly blue, feverish red or warm peach.

There’s not much in the way of banter - the odd mumble from Yorke aside - but the rest of the band take it on themselves to provide regular updates on the football score, leaving him bemused and perhaps a little grumpy. He’s still a fascinating frontman, odd and compelling in his jittery moves and complete focus on the song.

And then there’s that distinctive voice, probably their greatest asset: veering from fragile and plaintive to rough and whiny, sometimes within a single note. Yorke can make random syllables sound poetic, so let him loose on a ballad and he’ll break your heart. Gorgeous new song "Sail to the Moon", sung at the piano, is achingly pure; old favourites like "Lucky" and "Pyramid Song" echo round the room like carols.

Backing him up, the Greenwoods, Selway and O’Brien sound tight and confident, layering the sound skilfully and generally coming across as a band on top of their game.

Going into extra time, the band encore with a lighter, almost poppy version of Karma Police sending the crowd over the moon, so to speak. At the end of the day, the boys done good. Really good.

Andrea Mullaney

The Scotsman
23.05.03