Radiohead were a massive influence on Novacain, particularly when we were starting out, so we'd all got tickets for the second of three Victoria Park shows when they were announced. 'Kid A' was released the same day and, this being 2000 before the internet really took off, we'd only heard "Optimistic", which had been issued to radio stations as a promotional single. The press had initially been full of suggestions that the rest of the album was ridiculously avant-garde and could spell the death of the band as a commercial force, but reviews were really positive and we were all looking forward to the gig.
As well as being the day of release for 'Kid A', the 2nd October also marked the start of teaching for my third year. The rest of the band wanted to 'make a day of it' so me and Mike, who also had lectures, decided to meet them in Warrington before the show.
We got the train over at five and ended up sat in first class because the train was so full. When the conductor came round he mentioned the fact that we only had standard tickets but didn't ask us to move and was really nice about it. Mike flicked him a V as he walked off though and was seen by the guy with the at-seat service trolley, who gave us a filthy look. We felt like a right pair of twats so we moved to standard class when the train got less busy after Huddersfield.
The rest of the band were already at Victoria Park when we arrived so we walked straight there. Warrington seemed like an alright place, although I was surprised by the heavy police presence - wouldn't have thought Radiohead fans posed much of a risk!
The gig took place in a massive tent that was much wider then it was long, which meant pretty much anywhere you went you could get a good view of the stage. The front half was cordoned off to stop overcrowding, with fans being given wristbands to allow entry on a 'first come, first served' basis. As we were late we didn't even bother trying to get in, and watched Clinic from the back. It was easy to see why they'd been picked as support - their beat-lead, electronica-tinged, repetitive rock wasn't a million miles away from Radiohead. Clinic wore surgeon's masks on-stage and were pretty decent, even if we didn't know many of their songs.
Radiohead played a set largely comprising new tracks from 'Kid A'. The atmosphere suffered a bit as a result, but the songs sounded really powerful live. When they played some of their older songs, particularly the smattering of pre-'OK Computer' material, the band seemed to be going through the motions, as though they couldn't understand why anyone would want to hear these tunes anymore.
Radiohead - In Limbo
One of many new songs in the main set, "In Limbo" stood out due to its arpeggiated riff and "I'm lost at sea... you're living in a fantasy world" vocal hooks.
After ending with "Everything In Its Right Place", Radiohead came back on-stage for a four-song encore, featuring a cover of "The Thief" by Can, who were a evidently an influence on their new material. "How To Disappear Completely" brought the encore to a close before the band returned for the second and final time for a two song encore comprising "Motion Picture Soundtrack" and a rather shonky version of "My Iron Lung".
Radiohead - How To Disappear Completely
The slightly dreary acoustic-driven "How To Disappear Completely" doesn't seem like an obvious track to end an encore with, but Radiohead were at their most perverse in 2000.
Mike and I finally met up with the rest of the band after the show and managed to get the last train home. We spent the journey back to Leeds talking about how we should try to write songs in the vein of the new Radiohead stuff...
Set list (Radiohead)
- The National Anthem
- Morning Bell
- Airbag
- Karma Police
- In Limbo
- Optimistic
- Paranoid Android
- Permanent Daylight
- Pyramid Song
- Street Spirit (Fade Out)
- Climbing Up The Walls
- Dollars & Cents
- Talk Show Host
- Lucky
- Idioteque
- Just
- Everything In Its Right Place Encore 1
- Exit Music (For A Film)
- The Thief
- The Bends
- How To Disappear Completely Encore 2
- Motion Picture Soundtrack
- My Iron Lung
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