Here were we thinking that it was a pleasant summer’s evening out when Thom Yorke and Ed O’Brien emerged on stage wrapped up snuggly in woollen scarves. On the other hand, they are both forty this year, which is a rather alarming thought in itself! The stage, too, was something of a spectacle, with a forest of metal beams suspended vertically from the roof. The main purpose of this arrangement was to achieve some pretty amazing lighting effects, but it also nicely condensed the space into something a lot more intimate.
Saturday night was quite a good-humoured show, with Thom getting an early laugh/cheer when a small drum kit was brought out for him to play on for Bangers And Mash. He later admonished some character in the distance for doing up his trousers in public, and was forced into giving the whole audience a wave, when a small gesture to one part of the crowd led to some mock jealousy from everyone else.
The evening also included the one and only time that I have ever seen Jonny Greenwood looking bemused about anything. There had already seen to have been a wee technical problem with a backing track, which led to The Gloaming ending rather abruptly. However, this was nothing compared to the shuddering halt thatVideotape came to when Jonny’s keyboards packed up, leaving him looking rather confuddled. Ignoring the age-old adage of “the show must go on”, the entire band actually froze in equal surprise and it took a good minute to get themselves up and running again. To paraphrase what some punter in the crowd said – they are human after all!
Other highlights for me from the main set included Faust Arp being played as an acoustic guitar duet by Jonny and Thom, the tightness of the instrumental guitar section of Optimistic, Jonny and Ed looking like they were playing with a Scalextric kit as they crouched to fiddle with their effects boards during the superb Reckoner, an emotive rendition of All I Need, and the triple percussion on the final song There There.
The encores, then, were pretty special. Beginning with Thom playing Exit Music solo on acoustic guitar to an almost completely hushed audience, the song and the crowd exploded into life for its second half. It must have been good, as Colin Greenwood even gave Thom a special nod of approval at the end of it, despite the number of times that he must have heard that song before! This excitement was carried on into Climbing Up The Walls, two songs later, before the lights literally came down for a spectacular audio-visual rendition of Planet Telex. The first half of the encores was then closed out with the noisy Dublin audience-inspired How To Disappear Completely.
Could it get better than this? Oh yes, it could! Thom then came back out alone to play their new song Super Collider (apparently!) on the piano. It was dedicated afterwards to a girl enjoying her one hundredth Radiohead show – wow! This was followed by probably my favourite song on the night – You And Whose Army – which saw Thom singing into a small camera on the piano. These images were then beamed onto the wall behind the band. It was a great song performed in a very light-hearted way. Brilliant altogether! The final song was then the mighty Idioteque, which the audience once more belted out loudly.
On the whole, it may not have been the best show that I have ever seen Radiohead perform, but I was still on a pretty big high after it. They really are quite some band!
Here is the set list that was played on Saturday night, as I recall it. If anyone knows the encores from Friday night, please post them below! Thanks!
Main Show:
- 15 Step
- Bodysnatchers
- Airbag
- Bangers And Mash
- Nude
- Pyramid Song
- Weird Fishes / Arpeggi
- The Gloaming
- National Anthem
- Faust Arp
- Videotape
- Optimistic
- Where I End And You Begin
- Reckoner
- Everything In Its Right Place
- All I Need
- There There
First Encore:
- Exit Music (For a Film)
- Jigsaw Falling Into Place
- Climbing Up The Walls
- Planet Telex
- How To Disappear Completely
Second Encore:
- Super Collider
- You And Whose Army?
- Idioteque
Apparently these were the encores from Friday (I was at Saturday):
Encore 1:
The Gloaming
You And Whose Army?
Myxomatosis
My Iron Lung
How To Disappear Completely
Encore 2:
Supercollider
Just
Paranoid Android
Thanks mate. Think that we probably got the better deal so!
you must be too much of a fan to give an unbiased view – this was one of the worst concerts i’ve ever been to…i’m not a fan of their recent stuff i.e. last 2 years…but really love their old tracks the bends, karma police, street spirit etc. Set list aside..they are very minimal interaction with the crowd at all…this band seems to have lost their way and forgotten the music and the fans that made them famous…include more of the better older tunes..remember there is an auidence out there to interact with .i.e. atmosphere would be nice…otherwise forget it as the current tracks are crap.
WCE, thanks for the comment and having the balls to express a critical opinion of what I wrote. However…!
(1) Please point out anywhere on this site where I say that I give unbiased reviews, as I will remove the offending section straight away! On the other hand, if you want to pay for my tickets in future, I will see what I can do to meet your needs!
(2) Not that calling yourself “Worst Concert Ever” is a model of balanced opinion either, matey! If its true, though, then either you were at your first ever gig or you need to send me your upcoming gig list right away, as it must be mind-blowing stuff for the likes of me!
(3) Re the set list, the tour was to promote In Rainbows. It was always going to feature heavily. Okay, so the band don’t play much from the first three albums anymore, but I am convinced that it would sound tired and stale if they did. Its a shame, so, that you did not get into their more recent stuff. Its not as accessible as their earlier material, I grant you that, but I found it well worth the effort in the end!
(4) Finally, Radiohead have been pretty uncommunicative on stage for as long as I have ever seen them play. However, there are a dozen big-time acts that I can say much the same for. I think that it is just because their music is moody that Radiohead get a lot more stick for it.
I found it downbeat, boring, uninteractive and a spectacular waste of 70 euros. People were flooding out the gates long before the end. I agree that the tour was in support of In Rainbows, hence the absence of older songs, but the only members of the crowd who were enjoying it, were for the most part, stoned or off their trollies!
Such a waste as Malahide Castle is a great venue for an open air gig and the weather was fantastic on sat night. I wish I could give Radiohead a good kick up the rear- this pretentious unemotive (at the gig anyway) music is awful compared to their older stuff, which by the way would never sound ‘tired’ in a month of sundays as it is classic music. Very frustrating to watch talented musicians waste alot of people’s time and money.
Its beginning to feel like the Lisbon referendum debate around here!
On the “tiredness” thing, what I am saying is that I do not want to hear Radiohead play early stuff if their heart is not going to be in it. A lack of effort is certainly not what I pay to go see – no matter what song it is. Lets be honest, why Springsteen is a phenomenom is that he is the exclusion to the rule…
There seems to be an older Radiohead generation, though, that is beginning to sound disenfranchished by the band’s current direction. Not sure what can be done about it, as the band is free to take whatever artistic direction it wants and it is up to the paying punter to make his mind up about that.
To be clear, anyone who googled a set list from the US in recent months would have known exactly what was in store last weekend and you cannot blame the band for the ticket-buying frenzy that exists in this country months before any show.
Thanks for the comment though. It provoked a few thoughts!
Good review. I was there but i always like to refresh the memory by reading reviews and reminding myself of the set list.
How the gig ranked simply depends on how into the ‘Radiohead of now’ you are. if you’re going to a Radiohead gig these days expecting to see them playing a greatest hits gig, then Wise Up!
i thought it was fantastic. i would’ve perhaps included a few extra oldies if i had the power…(Lucky, talk show host, Let down?? Anyone can play guitar???? … just puttin the idea out there – nevagonahapin)
Favourite track on the night? ‘There There’ – Far from being my top radiohead track, it sounded colossal.
I love the Radiohead and I would like to have Kid A’s babies.
People seem to have thought that all they were going to do was play their greatest hits. I’m baffled with this surprised reaction from people. That they should have the gall and bare faced cheek to play the new album. God forbid.
I thought the band overcame a non-commital crowd so still play a stonking set.
On an aside, however, I do think the band work better indoors, where the sound and the lights can envelop you. Outdoors, it can just drift out into the wind.
Having said that, the Friday gig started off with an actual goddamned rainbow. A rainbow, people. How that did put everyone in the mood I’ll never know.
Vive la Radiohead.
A footnote to the above,
Between writing and posting there was a two hour lag so I would just like to say I agree with RMcK. Good man.
@RMcK – Thanks. Pretty much the same reason why I write them. It is funny what you forget otherwise!
They played Lucky on Friday instead of Airbag. It is the one straight swap that I would have made!
Had the same experience with You And Whose Army. Funny how live shows give you whole new dimensions on songs!
@M&T – Think that you should get off the fence and say how you really feel about Radiohead.
Its funny that people here (and elsewhere) have alluded to drug taking at the show. We were just saying after the show how sober it all was at the front. Everyone stood for position and no one was really going for beers. Always affects the atmosphere, as does the bright weather – which was your next point!
I prefer gigs to be small and indoors these days. Yet another sign of impending old age!
Thanks for stopping by!
I was at the Friday night gig. It was really boring. As I was leaving, some guy was shouting back “Radiodead!”. The general consensus was that it was a poor gig. I thought the crowd really tried to like it and gave the band a good reception and applauded a lot and all that. I do like In Rainbows and especially Amnesiac, but hardly anything they played worked. It was the first night of the tour though, so maybe they’ll warm up. Friday night was painful though.
Went to the Saturday show, so it is hard for me to comment. I heard that it was far from sold out on Friday?
As a general remark, it is often a problem with being in Ireland – you are either at the very start or the very end of the band’s European tour. Sometimes, this means the band is full of energy because it is the first/last time out. Other times they are either still on the plane or thinking about nothing other than going home.
Good to see Cork now increasingly on the gig circuit. Let those langers deal with any early rustiness or end-of-tour fatigue instead!!
Nice review, thanks very much. I’m terrible with song names so it’s nice to connect the dots.
I came over to Malahide from Manchester for the Saturday gig and whilst it’s not the best Radiohead show I’ve been to, it was pretty good. I actually quite appreciated the glitches…I’ve never seen that before from the guys.
We were lucky enough to get to the front…even though we turned up as BFL were finishing everyone was very cordial and just kind of let us wander to the front. With my HD camera armed I managed to get some decent video…before getting told to shut it off! Everyone around us was really up for it and had a bloody good time.
From our vantage point they were all having a good time on stage, glitches and all – Thom was pretty animated and Colin had many a chuckle at Jonny’s woes! The sound was good, the set list a good mix of new stuff and the venue/organisation top notch (from what I saw).
Far from the worst RH gig I’ve been to, that honour goes to MEN Arena in Manchester in 2003.
And if you want to see a boring band in action for comparison, go see Wilco.
-pc.
i love radioheads old stuff and although i was dissapointed they didn’t play paranoid android i totally disagree with people who slate radioheads latest stuff. i thought the in rainbows stuff sounded great, nude was amazing, the kid a stuff in my opinion is absolutely fantastic. unlike many bands,radiohead dont overplay and rely on the hits, their a challenging, controversial and revolutionary band, i have nothing but respect for them. their true artists.
@pc – Cheers mate – hope that you had a good weekend. I have done the opposite trip to see bands in Manchester – a great city with fine people! In fact, the worst gig that I have ever been to was Arcade Fire in the MEN. The place must be cursed. I was spitting feathers after it!
Thanks for the extra memories. Its building up quite nicely here now!
@john – Well, I believe in “live and let live”, but I am with you in terms of what you have just said about Radiohead and their music.
I too had hoped in the week beforehand that Paranoid Android might be the show closer. It had been on Friday night, but I have yet to hear someone say that they liked the rendition! In the end, I was singing Idioteque all the way home!
To think that some people can totally slate the Malahide gig is insane. I absolutely loved it, thought the band were great fun, the set list was brilliant, and the experience was unforgettable.
Yes, they played a lot of In Rainbows, and I personally would have rather they’d mixed it up a little more. But the tour is the one for that album, so it’s to be expected… There was a decent mix of OK Computer and Hail To The Thief in there, and the tracks they did play were outstanding.
I realise that older fans may not be as fond of In Rainbows than previous albums, but that doesn’t stop the gig from being brilliant. If you really hated the latest album (and I mean, really hated it), then why see the band at all?
And to those complaining about lack of sound, immersion in the music, etc. I can only assume they were way way back in the crowd. We made an effort to get there at a decent time, and were in a brilliant spot. Not ridiculously close, but close enough, and it was great fun.
Yes, they’ll probably do better shows, play better set lists, but that set ranks highly regardless. I can’t commend on Friday’s gig, and for me, the Saturday show had the stronger set list. I just can’t see how people can say it was a terrible show. It was far from it.
Alias – thanks man for another passionate defence of your point of view! Definitely being near the front at a show like that makes a big difference.
Its yet another sign that I am slowing down, but we also got there early to secure a good vantage point! In the old days, like pc on Saturday, I would have been bashing people around the head late on with my HD camera to make it to the front!
This was the third time I’ve seen Radiohead, the first being back in 2001. I love pretty much everything theyve ever done and I think In Rainbows is their best album since Kid A.
This (friday) was the first time I’ve seen the band genuinely bored onstage. They were completely going through the motions, and probably finding out that their new songs dont translate to a large venue very well.
I think at this stage of their career, and with the level of musicianship onstage, the lads need to start challenging themself a bit more to make things more exciting for both themselves and the audience.
Either that or realise that if they want to focus on their newer material they would be much more suitable to more intimate live settings.
Artistic principles and all aside, this is the ENTERTAINMENT business and well… opening a large outdoor gig with all i need just isnt very entertaining
This debate is dragging on, but , I was entertained, I wasn’t stoned, I wasn’t at the front, I thought the In Rainbows stuff sounded great (especially Reckoner and Nude), and I thought the band seemed to be enjoying themselves.
I’m baffled by people who expected a ‘greatest hits’ show – they are touring a new (and great) album. There was a Bon Jovi gig on at the other side of town for anyone who wanted a drunken sing along.
I did think the light show was wasted on a daylight show though, pity it didn’t get dark an hour earlier.
Meant to say…posted first vid clip here – http://paulcarruthers.com/justonething/?p=396
Pyramid Song.
The quality on the HD camera I used is fantastic…got more to come, but we were policed quite well by the security guys.
I’m not particularly advocating this kind of behaviour (videoing gigs), but I wanted to try the camera out and let’s face it, the concert organisers need to adopt a different stance nowadays. I was told to stop videoing yet the guys with zoom lenses on their SLR’s could happily shoot away…
Wake up, technology will make this kind of media way more prevalent, so embrace it and work out a different way of making money. Just like the band on stage that night have.
Sorry for going off topic. Got carried away!
-pc.
I suppose I did generalise a tad with the ’stoned’ references but,in my opinion, and many others form what I witnessed it was a poor gig. I appreciate all of Radiohead’s music including their current stuff but it just didn’t translate well at Malahide. I’ve seen them previously indoors, and I agree that for whatever reason, the atmosphere and music translated alot better.
BTW I realised that In Rainbows and recent material would dominant the night hence I didn’t buy a ticket-I had a free pass! Thats the only reason I was there in the first place! Jovi, while offering zero challenging music and buckets of cheese,put on a great night’s entertainment in Punchestown I hear. I would readily have swapped my pass for a Jovi ticket as u would be guaranteed to come out of that one with a smile on your face as opposed to staring at your navel! The train back to Connolly was like a morgue!
Thanks again for all the strong comments! This thread serves as proof that Radiohead has the most erudite fans out there!
@Cormac – I was equally surprised by the Friday night choice of All I Need to open the show with!
@Jusk – Looking at pc’s video might contradict your point about them having fun up there! All seem very serious looking!
@pc – That’s your one for the over!
@Radiofoot – Indoors gigs are usually better, so long as it is not the Point or the RDS! Got to say though that its a little cheeky of you to slag off free entertainment!
Nah, they definitely had fun. Would be a tad odd to grin all the way through Pyramid Song
I’ll get some more video up when the day job gets out of the way!
-pc.
[...] beach we headed to the gig. I’m not going to do an in depth review, I’ll leave that to noordinaryfool – from which vantage point you can read the debate about whether it was a good gig or not – but I [...]
amazin gig, in rainbows stuff was the best stuff they played, as for anybody who went for a greatest hits experience, did you know bon jovi were playin in punchestown??anyway the gig was great, i thought radiohead were very interactive with the crowd, thom gesturing the whole way through….it was one of the best nights of my life, listening to probably the most beautiful music of our generation. anybody who didnt enjoy it should probably stick to razorlight gigs and other such radio friendly generic shite
Can you lot stop talking about Bon Jovi (and now flippin’ Razorlight) around here please? This site is in its infancy and is trying to establish its street cred!
I say this because a few site engines are directing traffic here for a review of that gig and not the Radiohead one! What they make of my lack of shampoo and hairdryer recommendations, I do not know!
It was a good gig – both intimate and electric at times. The guy who doesn’t like the new songs needs to listen more closely. If Radiohead were still straggling out anthemic finger-point songs like they did in the nineties, he’d probably be equally distraught. Like Bob Dylan in the sixties, Radiohead move on because they can, and another ground-breaking album is probably just around the corner.
This wasn`t the best radiohead gig I`ve been to, but it definitely wasn`t the worst.
I think if your going to spend over 70quid on a ticket, do your homework first. Every time I`v seen them, they always play the majority of the new album, plus few from OK computer gauranteed.
Even in the Olympia gig few years ago, which wasn`t a Hail to the thief tour gig, they still played majority of the album.
But how long can you expect them to be playin Pablo honey hits. Be very grateful to hear them playing anythin from the Bends.
The greatest thing about Radiohead is the evolution, so if you dont like the new album, go see coldplay or one of the other 100 radiohead wannabies.
Set list was great, venue was class, new song was good, and they played Planet Telex for god sake.
They`re not in their 20`s anymore and I dont think the fans are getting any younger really, hence the lack of atmosphere.
Dont blame the band for the lack of atmosphere, blame the fans who went expecting a gig from Glastonbury 1997.
I personally, am already waiting for the next album and tour and my only regret is that they aren`t playin glastonbury because it definitely would have sold alot quicker.
@Dermo – The Dylan comparison is interesting, but I didn’t hear anyone booing at the gig at the same time!
@Dave – Should I presume that you are associated with the Glastonbury festival? If so, I think that you are great! P.S. Really, has it not sold out yet?
I was at the Saturday gig, and must say I really enjoyed the show, but have to agree there was a lack of buzz from the crowd. I think much of the audience were expecting some kind of ‘Best of ‘ which was never going to happen. It was always going to be about In Rainbows. I had a similar expierience with people a couple of years ago in Marley Park (Which is one of the best gigs i was ever at). People were expecting a Radiohead from 12 years ago. I think if you don’t like anything after ok computer then don’t go to a Radiohead gig.But then again I am one of those fans that think radiohead can do no wrong……
Except for the merchandise. Ugly Ugly T Shirts!!!!
I can remember buying some t-shirt at a RH gig a few years ago. I must have been more than half-cut at the time because it was the most vile purple and had pictures of sperm and men with their mouths sewn shut on the front. Never, ever wore it!
Think that was the last gig T-shirt I ever bought. Have probably saved a grand since then on clothes worth only a fraction of their cost to me! Thanks for that Thom!
Know exactly where you are coming from on your other comments Gary. Cheers for ‘em!
The main issue i have with the gig was not the band, the songs, the lightning or anything to do with the music…it was the fans (or i should really call them the audience). Most of the audience just talked all the way through the set. They were not interested in listening and i was wondering why they went and spent €70 to see a band where they did not even listen to them…probably just to say that they had seen them i’d say. I notice this at a lot of gigs…indoor and out and it annoys the hell out of me.
…was the fans (or i should really call them the audience).
I think that you meant to call them the attendees, judging by the rest of your post!
I notice this at a lot of gigs…indoor and out and it annoys the hell out of me.
Preaching to the converted here my man! I could write about it in nearly all of my reviews, but I save it normally for those particularly aggravating occassions!