Live Review: Radiohead - Roundhouse ‘Radiohead triumphant in an intimate second night at the Roundhouse’
RADIOHEAD
ROUNDHOUSE
[27/03/16]
Radiohead performed their first London concerts in 4 years this week, opting for three nights in the intimate confines of The Roundhouse (capacity 3,300) in Camden, which unsurprisingly sold out in minutes.
★★★★★
Radiohead performed their first London concerts in 4 years this week, opting for three nights in the intimate confines of The Roundhouse (capacity 3,300) in Camden, which unsurprisingly sold out in minutes.
Fans hungry for tickets lined up outside the venue, some roaming the queues with handmade signs and witty puns begging for a chance to see their favourite act because despite strict ID checks ticket touts were still selling spares for thousands of pounds online. Thom described himself "as fucked off as you are".
However none of this tainted a truly unforgettable night as Radiohead took to the stage showcasing new songs from their recently released chart topping ninth album (A Moon Shaped Pool) alongside fan favourites and deeper cuts from nearly all of their albums (Pablo Honey excluded).
They started off by playing the first five tracks from "A Moon Shaped Pool" in chronological order, the crowd happily singing along like they were years not mere weeks old. all the new material translates fantastically live especially opening track "Burn The Witch" which is one of the more ferocious tracks off the album before it the atmosphere becomes more ambient, so mellow in fact you couldn't hear a pin drop.
The set soon transcends into a lot more noise and chaos as the opening riff to "Airbag" blares out and Radiohead start to delve into previous albums and fan favourites such as "No Surprises" and "Pyramid Song".
Thom Yorke was in an uplifting and joyous mood throughout the concert, constantly smiling and joking around with the crowd bout the sitting crowds up in the balcony "the tops seats will be electrocuted in half an hour" and later on "If your feeling particularly English and are worried about blocking the view behind you", as well as joking his erratic dancing was out in full force as he commanded the stage in the later stages of the sets.
The main set ended with an enthralling performance of The Bends classic "Street Spirit" before the band returned for not one but two encores. The first of which featured an intense performance of "Everything In It's Right Place" and a frantic rendition of In Rainbows "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi"
It all came to a conclusion however with the epic 24 song set ending on a mass singalong to the anthemic "Karma Police" the crowd in pure ecstasy drowning everyone but themselves out. The anticipation around the latest tour and album have been massive but the band have rose to it and delivered one of my now all time favourite live performances. New songs slipped effortlessly amongst old favourites and further established Radiohead as one of the all time alternative greats.
SETLIST
Burn The Witch
Daydreaming
Decks Dark
Desert Island Disks
Ful Stop
Airbag
Kid A (tour debut)
Separator
No Surprises
Glass Eyes (live debut)
Pyramid Song
National Anthem
The Numbers
Identikit
Myxomatosis
Idioteque
Street Spirit (Fade Out)
[End of Main Set]
[Encore 1]
18. Bloom
19. Present Tense
20. Everything In It's Right Place
21. Tinker Tailor Soldier Sailor Rich Man Poor Man Beggar Man Thief
22. Weird Fishes/Arpeggi
[Encore 2]
23. Bodysnatchers
24. Karma Police
[End of Show]