Dear Radiohead

[brycerosen]

Radiohead was awesome, this thread is nonsense

[ADrunkPoet]

This weekend was a good opportunity to learn how to tell the difference between a truly self-indulgent, arrogant jackass and someone who is simply faking it. Witness Radiohead, headlining one of the biggest festivals in America playing to tens of thousands of people, and refusing to take 3 minutes to play the one song 90% of the audience wants to hear because they don't "like it very much". In contrast, witness The Hives, who's schtick is largely based around their lead singer being a self-indulgent jackass and who only had 50 minutes to play, but still somehow found time to play Main Offender, Hate To Say I Told You So, and Tick Tick Boom, despite having a new album to promote.

If you're playing a normal tour show and you can reasonable expect that most of the audience members are Radiohead superfans, do what the hell you like. But if you're headlining Coachella, play Creep you cocks.

Sorry bro, maybe the second weekend they'll play Smells Like Teen Spirit.

[JesseMarcial]

^buuuurrrrnnnn^

[KickerConspiracy]

Effectively, yes he did. There were a few big songs early but what i saw was an hour-long stretch of the Firemen and other crap. The lone saving grace was "Blackbird" but that wasn't near enough and i got bored and tired and split.

At least he eventually played something worthwhile. Radiohead never got there for me, though I suspect that didn't have anything to do with the setlist.

That would be a good point if it were accurate. I just refreshed my memory by looking at the first 11 songs of his setlist

Jet
Drive My Car
Only Mama Knows
Flaming Pie
Got to Get You into My Life
Let Me Roll It
Honey Hush
Highway
The Long and Winding Road
My Love
Blackbird

I'm counting four Beatles songs in the first 11 (plus Jet which is one of his best solo songs). So a little less than half were well known songs from his back catalog. Compared to what from Radiohead - I think just Karma Police just after the first hour.

Not to mention Paul continued his set with, among others

Eleanor Rigby
Band on the Run
Back in the U.S.S.R.
Something
I've Got a Feeling
Paperback Writer
A Day in the Life
Give Peace a Chance
Let It Be
Live and Let Die
Hey Jude

But you wouldn't know anything about that, since you left after Blackbird. I'm sure to watch some dirge in the Sahara tent.

[TallGuyCM]

Yeah, Got to Get You Into My Life is one of my favorite Beatles songs, and more than forgave any first hour b.s. in my book.

[Failed State]

Whine whine whine––––––––––––– It twas fun and you know it!

[HandBanana]

Yeah the crowd on the webstream looked like they were having a blast. On codeine. After their puppy died.

[Hawkings]

<--- only have the 1st 4 radiohead albums, so i didn't know what to expect but their pretty amazing, kinda just textural sounds like jazz, i dug it. Thom Yorke kinda explained not playing just the hits during the set, he said something like,'We keep making new music because we are not dead but in fact very much alive'

[sonnyboy11]

Yeah the crowd on the webstream looked like they were having a blast. On codeine. After their puppy died.

I still thought they were a good show. But if you're wondering whether I could have taken a nap/dirt nap during their set? The answer is yes. But then Real Estate was the same thing too. Good songs and the band performed well (saw half their set). But if you put a hammock in front of me and a margarita in my hand it woulda been lights out.

[kitt kat]

Now, I'm not fan and I did watch from home — but I watched with a friend who is really into Radiohead and even she admitted she found the set boring and underwhelming.

They maybe played one song that I thought was cool (some noisier, uptempo jam) and they played "Idioteque," which is the only Radiohead song I like.

I dunno. Having never seen a Radiohead performance (in person or on TV/Computer) it wasn't what I was expecting at all. Will probably go elsewhere this weekend. Snooze.

[moustache]

Stupid fucking thread...trippin

[butitdidhappen]

<--- only have the 1st 4 radiohead albums, so i didn't know what to expect but their pretty amazing, kinda just textural sounds like jazz, i dug it. Thom Yorke kinda explained not playing just the hits during the set, he said something like,'We keep making new music because we are not dead but in fact very much alive'

something something better off dead

[Starraven]

Straight. Trippin'. Yo.

Also-

Bon Iver: Face Melted
Radiohead: So-so

*shrug*

[cormaic]

I was eavesdropping on people's conversations after the set and heard almost only praise for the set, the only notable exception was a girl who was very mad that they didn't play House Of Cards.

And, what do people think of when they think of 'the hits'? Creep/High And Dry/Fake Plastic Trees/Karma Police are the only four gigantic ones I can think of, and they gave us one of those. On top of that, they did Idioteque, Everything In Its Right Place, Weird Fishes, and Pyramid Song, all of which are big crowd pleasers.

[Deevo]

I don't understand this thread. I haven't seen the performance, but I think the setlist looks great.

[claytron]

I wasn't there and I didn't watch, so I decided to read the set lists after seeing this hissy fit.

What the hell are you guys whining about? They played songs from every LP but Pablo Honey (thankfully) and hit a couple EPs too. Moreover, they only played four songs from KOL (which is a fine record all the same). Am I reading the right set list?

This is going to be my first Coachella, but I'm really worried about everyone I'm going to meet at this festival. Every time I read these message boards I'm struck by all the whiners and jerks. Hopefully you guys aren't representative.

[TomServo]

The only song I feel like they neglected was National Anthem - because it's a great festival song and really gets folks ramped up. I loved the KoL arrangements, and thought it was a very danceable set.

I agree with the earlier post that said they should do a classics tour at some point in the future - like QotSA or Primus or whoever else has been doing complete album tours recently. I doubt they will - but there was some reason they wrote those songs, and it's fun to revisit old material in a limited way. They'd probably enjoy it more than they'll admit, and the fans would have nothing to complain about on future tours.

[Tikiman]

You wanna see bands play their greatest hits, then just go and see The Beach Boys or Cheap Trick or a matter of fact any fucking band that reunites 20 years later. I saw Radiohead in San Jose and they were awesome. I danced my ass off, even though I was the only one in my entire section doing so. It's the crowds these days that suck. Everyone's so fucking self-conscious about being "uncool". Fuck, if anyone wants to get crazy watching Radiohead hit me up.

[bmack86]

Do you ever attend concerts by other bands with a prodigious and popular back catalog? No other artist does what Radiohead did, which is play almost the entirety of their two most recent and WAY less popular albums. U2, arguably the biggest band in the world, consistently releases (mostly rubbish) new albums, but when its time to tour, it knows the fans are coming to see their back catalog, and plays probably 80% older material.

Sonic Youth? Neil Young? It's not fair to compare a band that is still creating stuff that is at least nominally interesting to U2, who make dad rock.

This weekend was a good opportunity to learn how to tell the difference between a truly self-indulgent, arrogant jackass and someone who is simply faking it. Witness Radiohead, headlining one of the biggest festivals in America playing to tens of thousands of people, and refusing to take 3 minutes to play the one song 90% of the audience wants to hear because they don't "like it very much". In contrast, witness The Hives, who's schtick is largely based around their lead singer being a self-indulgent jackass and who only had 50 minutes to play, but still somehow found time to play Main Offender, Hate To Say I Told You So, and Tick Tick Boom, despite having a new album to promote.

They found the time because they play short/fast songs.

I still thought they were a good show. But if you're wondering whether I could have taken a nap/dirt nap during their set? The answer is yes. But then Real Estate was the same thing too. Good songs and the band performed well (saw half their set). But if you put a hammock in front of me and a margarita in my hand it woulda been lights out.

That's totally Real Estate's MO though. I mean, I know you know this, but they're not a dancy/active band.

[Tongue_Punch]

So a band has to play hits and can never play new material? Interesting.

[KidRobot]

FYI, for those of you who are talking about the necessity of finding a difference between festival sets and solo concerts: Note that most headliners are booked when they release new music and are currently on tour for said new music. Coincidence? No. They are most likely going to keep a somewhat similar set to what they are already touring with. The only time you can really expect a "hits" set is if an artist is booked without any new material to promote (namely reunions).

[kimbico]

I was eavesdropping on people's conversations after the set and heard almost only praise for the set, the only notable exception was a girl who was very mad that they didn't play House Of Cards.

And, what do people think of when they think of 'the hits'? Creep/High And Dry/Fake Plastic Trees/Karma Police are the only four gigantic ones I can think of, and they gave us one of those. On top of that, they did Idioteque, Everything In Its Right Place, Weird Fishes, and Pyramid Song, all of which are big crowd pleasers.

This! So true. Also, I would've been straight up MAD at Radiohead if they submitted and played High and Dry. Thom hates the song and I don't know a lot of people who like it as much as the other top tracks listed. FPT is the best, I think, and I was sad to see it absent from their current tour. However, that's really my only complaint. Aside from that, I cannot wait to see them at weekend 2. They'll be amazing. Too many people associate the headliner spot with "they have to be super high-energy and play the hits" which is bullshit. Radiohead is the best when they are more mesmerizing and personal to the individuals in the audience. They had a fair share of hits and new stuff, and all of it is great.

[mountmccabe]

That would be a good point if it were accurate. I just refreshed my memory by looking at the first 11 songs of his setlist

Jet
Drive My Car
Only Mama Knows
Flaming Pie
Got to Get You into My Life
Let Me Roll It
Honey Hush
Highway
The Long and Winding Road
My Love
Blackbird

I'm counting four Beatles songs in the first 11 (plus Jet which is one of his best solo songs). So a little less than half were well known songs from his back catalog. Compared to what from Radiohead - I think just Karma Police just after the first hour.

Not to mention Paul continued his set with, among others

Eleanor Rigby
Band on the Run
Back in the U.S.S.R.
Something
I've Got a Feeling
Paperback Writer
A Day in the Life
Give Peace a Chance
Let It Be
Live and Let Die
Hey Jude

But you wouldn't know anything about that, since you left after Blackbird. I'm sure to watch some dirge in the Sahara tent.

I know what the setlist was. I never said anything about the first 11 songs. I hardly ever go in the Sahara so your made-up narrative is clsarly off. I missed "Drive My Car" watching a fantastic set by A Place to Bury Strangers. I stand by my contention that "Only Mama Knows" through "Mrs. Vanderbilt" was boring apart from "Blackbird," I was there, I was bored. Those Wings and Beatles songs are poor and we surrounded by newer, poorer material.

Which was my point. I acknowledged that Paul eventually played a great half-set but most of the start was really, really bad. Because he was, much like Radiohead, playing new and/or poor material.

I know many people love both sets but it doesnt make sense to claim either artist front loaded or even balanced their sets with hits/popular material.

[VigoTheCarpathian]

Leaving Saturday I tried to get the herd going on a Karma Police singalong and people were not having it - so I started chanting Wake Up and everyone was like Oooo ooooo Oooo Oooo Oooo Oooo.

[lookalive24]

I totally respect that people have their own opinion on the set, but what I don't get is why people have to bitch about it. Nobody really cares what your opinion is and it's not gonna change anybody's view.

[ipleadthefiif]

LOL. You really think 90% of the crowd wanted to hear Creep? KROQ doesn't have that many employees.

This.

[CoachellaVet09]

I totally respect that people have their own opinion on the set, but what I don't get is why people have to bitch about it. Nobody really cares what your opinion is and it's not gonna change anybody's view.

Using your opinion about how peoples opinion can't change other people's opinion to try and change other people's opinions so that they stop using their opinions to try and change other people's opinions...

right

[lt.roast.a.botch]

I was happy with radiohead's set. probably one of the better ones of the weekend. The sound was great and and the visuals were awesome. Everyone around me was really into the music. No talking.

[CrimesceneCookie]

^yes that's another thing that made it great. Everyone around me was very respectful, minimal talking.

[ialvarado2]

Yes! People were paying attention and were quiet!

That was nice. I really enjoyed their set.