Amazing news for Radiohead fans and anyone else in their late 30s and 40s looking to rekindle their youth. Tonight on youtube, Radiohead will be premiering a recording of their October 2000 concert from Punchestown racecourse.
The concert was recorded in a Punchestown marquee with a propulsive light show and incredible sound sysstem. It will be streamed at 10pm tonight on Radiohead's youtube channel.
This concert catches Radiohead perhaps at their creative zenith, just as Kid A had been released. The setlist is a mix of bangers from Kid A and OK Computer with a few classics from The Bends thrown in for good measure.
Now that you have no choice whether or not you fancy a quiet night in, we hereby present the first of several weekly live shows coming to Radiohead’s @YouTube channel.
Starting tomorrow 10pm UK/2pm PT/5pm ET with Live From a Tent In Dublin: https://t.co/oQYIJXFDCz pic.twitter.com/84TSWMPDLV— Radiohead (@radiohead) April 8, 2020
Here's how the Irish Times reviewed the concert twenty years ago.
At Punchestown, under a custom-made big top which from the inside resembled a set from Alien, the band had their first stab at showcasing their songs to an Irish crowd who were plainly there to sing along to the oldies, but seemed prepared to tolerate Radio head's drive towards musical obfuscation.
Eschewing any ideas of pandering to the audience, they opened the set with the hypnotic, bass-heavy The National Anthem from Kid A, and the power of Radiohead live was immediately apparent.
The band are obviously enthusiastic about their new material, peppering the bulk of the new album (and even newer songs) throughout the near 2 1/2 -hour set. Although most fans were there to join in with the likes of My Iron Lung, Fake Plastic Trees, The Bends, Karma Police and the many other anthems which have endeared frontman Thom Yorke to angst-ridden music lovers everywhere, their renditions at Punchestown seemed a little lack-lustre compared with the passion displayed on the new tunes - Everything In Its Right Place, Optimistic, and the highlight of the evening, Idioteque.
You can watch the stream of the two and a half hour gig here this evening:
Photo credit: ROY J BARON / Shutterstock.com
