Okey Dokey Computer

Well, we saw Radiohead on the second of their two night stint at Blackpool Empress Ballroom, as part of their 2006 “We’re going to try out some new songs on you” tour. This was the fourth time for me, having first seen them at the same venue back in 1997 during the “OK Computer” tour, but the first time for Celia, who you couldn’t exactly call a fan. To say she liked some of their stuff would be generous. C was of the opinion that they’ve got a couple of songs that she could put up with, such as “Stop Whispering” & “High & Dry”. However, “OK Computer” had put her off.

Now, I’ve always said that seeing Radiohead live would change your opinion of them. So, as they were playing on our doorstep, it was a no-brainer. Of course, some pre-gig preparation and conditioning would be needed. Further investigation under laboratory conditions (i.e. play Radiohead CDs around the house & in the car in the vain hope she’d go “Ooh, I like this. Who is it?”) indicated that she appreciated the Pablo Honey/Bends era more than their current stuff.

Ah.

Well, bearing in mind that the first 10 songs played were either new & unheard or from "Kid A"-era ‘head onwards, I think she did rather well, even if trips to the bar were needed to cope. For myself, I loved “The Bends” & “OK Computer”, but “Kid A”, “Amnesiac” & “Hail To The Thief”, whilst having their moments, never caused me to pull them off the shelf that often, probably not helped by Thom Yorke’s increasingly whiny vocal style. Fortunately he’s not as bad live and the Empress Ballroom acoustics helped drown him out on most of the more rocky songs. I may have to reappraise these albums, as tracks like “National Anthem”, “Morning Bell” and “2+2 =5” all sounded great when played live, with “Pyramid Song” drifting languidly atmospherically round the hall. I was surprised how many tracks I remembered. The new stuff is more of the same, so the possibility of them doing a U2-esque return to their earlier style is seemingly becoming less and less likely.

The main set drew to a close with “Airbag”, “Idioteque” & the superb drumfrenzy that is “There There”, and then the band came on for the first encore with a crowd pleasing “Just”, “The Bends” & “Street Spirit”, by which time Celia was getting into it. Throw in a second encore of Thom muddling through “I Want None Of this” and a blistering “Paranoid Android”, and you’ve got two hours of one of the world’s best bands, on top of their game, in your own back yard.

Now, when you find your girlfriend singing “Karma Police” in the kitchen next day, I think you can say mission accomplished.

Setlist: Everything In It's Right Place / The National Anthem / 2+2=5 / 15 Step / Morning Bell / Pyramid Song / Go Slowly / Bangers 'n' Mash / Dollars And Cents / How To Disappear Completely / Nude / Karma Police / You And Whose Army? / Airbag / Spooks / Idioteque / There There

Encore 1: Just / Four Minute Warning / The Bends / Street Spirit

Encore 2: I Want None Of This / Paranoid Android