Nov 13, 2012

Radiohead @ Sydney Entertainment Centre


To put it mildly Radiohead's credentials are impeccable. A slew of critically acclaimed albums and massive credibility to go with it have made them iconic. Perhaps even the most important band of this generation. I would say though that they are not my favourite band. There are others closer to my heart. But I have huge respect for their creativity and pure honesty. And I have never seen them live. Until last night in Sydney. So I was pretty excited.

They didn't let me down. For over two hours they were blissfully spectacular. A wondrous, splendid and at times elegant show. A show of strength. A colossal display of their powers, grabbing their material from basically every release with emphasis on their more recent albums. Such as "Bloom" which opened with a languid fluidity. This was followed by the emotional OK Computer classic "Lucky" which a tore a hole in our hearts. I could follow on, simply lauding the set list but you probably get the drift. There were lesser moments. I don't really feel the "The King of Limbs" tunes and so some such as "Morning Mr Magpie" lagged a bit. Conversely the "In Rainbows" tracks fairly sparkled live, especially the stunning "Videotape" performed on a grand piano. "Nude" followed and was sublime as well. Other shining moments were "Planet Telex" and the stunning to the core "Pyramid Song" as well the the monumental "Paranoid Android". I should mention the lighting display. It was spectacular, with floating screens hanging above the band with the group's images being displayed on each. The lighting was subtle, elegant and quite beautiful. Thom Yorke led the band in complete mastery. He doesn't say much but he can actually move with a certain grace, busting out some very groovy moves. This was certainly a night to remember. I don't know if I will get a chance to see them again, but I'm glad I saw them last night.

Set List
Bloom
Lucky
Morning Mr. Magpie
Weird Fishes/Arpeggi
Myxomatosis
The Gloaming
Separator
Staircase
Videotape
Nude
Full Stop
Lotus Flower
There There
Planet Telex
Feral
Bodysnatchers

Give Up the Ghost
Pyramid Song
These Are My Twisted Words
Reckoner
Paranoid Android

15 Step
Everything in Its Right Place

Idioteque

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