The setting is perfect. Tonight one of the most artistic cities in the World, plays host to one of the most artistic set of musicians on the planet. The stage is set in front of the neo-Gothic marble church of St. Cross. 7000 tifosi are packed into the square, eagerly awaiting the entrance of the Oxford boys, after competant support from Laika.

Much of Radiohead's set tonight consists of new material that will surprise fans of The Bends, dropping their rock n' roll riffs for more dark/rhythm dominated tracks, with more than a passing resemblance to Laika. Some of the tracks first aired on the OKC tour are present such as the mesmerising "How To Disappear" and "Optimistic". The rest of the set is made equally up from OKC and The Bends; Unlike on the OKC tour, "Karma Police", is aired in it's original version with Jonny on regular piano rather than Rhodes.

The band seem very pleased with their new sound - Thom consistantly smiling and dancing like he's got 5000 Volts through him. He does a couple of solo tracks on Rhodes ("In Limbo" and "Everything In It's Right Place") and there's loads of instrument swapping. On comes the xylophone there's no surprises as to which song comes next.

What makes a Radiohead live gig so f***ing special is hearing the likes of "Fake Plastic Trees", to which I just froze at it's beauty. But then they go and turn all the knobs up on live favourites "Bones" and "Just". Blimey.

Thom, still in amazingly good mood, dedicates "The Tourist" to 'all the people with the cameras, the pastey white skin, who don't know where they're going.' They finish the encore with a pumped up version of "Paranoid Android", which is a great chance to see Jonny at his best.

They come back on stage again and wrap up the night with a shiveringly good version of Bulletproof.

The only way this gig could have been better was if "The Bends" and "Creep" were aired, if nothing else to hear the trademark Jonny C R U N C H on the latter. They've moved on and are getting better and better. I had to pinch myself to check I really saw this gig and didn't dream it.

-Simon Allen

Always Echoes
09.00