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| Radiohead,
The Scala, London |
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| Live,
Justin Harries,
15 January 2001 |
Rating: F5
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Anyone see the 'heads on tour movie "Meeting people is easy"? A film devoted to showing you just how dismal, lonely and crappy life on the road could be. The endless nights, the endless gigs, the endless assholes. Comedy highlights included Tom Yourke being refused entrance to a party in the bands honour - all in all not very rock and roll really. Its hard to imagine these guys committing to wholesale hotel carnage, let alone using sharks as contraception. As the 'head having been compered to the Floyd so often, then "Meeting people" is their Wall. A documentry recently had director Roger Waters complaining about audience participation and generally being a sour git. Well guys - here's an idea - if you hate what you do so much - THEN FRICKING WELL DON'T DO IT! It's a pretty easy idea, that is, if you don't have a mortgage and a down payment on a TT to cover.
Any attempt at satirising or subverting the system always seems to fall flat - Remember Zooropas take on the game? Lets show just how empty and shallow such huge stadium events are by doing one. Only this times the jokes on you for participating in such an event. A case of flipping you the bird as they take your cash.
Well Tom Yorke and co have done something about it. Bypassing the usual echo bins (arenas), the 'head have set up shop in a tent. A rather nice tent it was too - creating that festival thang. Acoustics were good and even being in the back didn't seem like studying bacteria through a microscope. There were a couple of video monitors which, being that the 'head are all arty an all, played in black and white.
Anyway after nigh on 300 words let's get down to the nitty gritty, (deep breath) the music. I like Radiohead. OK, they may resemble Floyd in the self-misirbisim stakes, but at lest their smart blend of Chicargo-ian post rock and English angst can effectively chill. It was nice to here the new stuff has continued further in this direction, most unheard numbers didn't even featuring guitars, just lengthy noodleling on unidentified electronic instruments. Their still not out of the woods yet - those tunes need to go on a lot, lot longer. Old Tom spazzes out effectively and the gimpy noise guy twiddle his various knobs with style. And the whole thing ended to the chorus of "I hope you choke", a great sentiment to go home with. All in all a triumph as the 'head rest away coporate power by doing it their way. Hey, sounds like a sequel in the making.
MON 25 AUG 2000
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