RADIO DAZE
RADIOHEAD / Big Heavy Stuff
Perth Entertainment Centre
Tuesday, February 10, 1998
It was a night where some were moved to tears almost from the opening notes of Airbag right through to the encores of Creep and Street Spirit. Others went into hypnotic trances — so moved were they by the music. The fellow behind me had yelled Thom Yorke’s name out so often during the course of the evening I think he completely broke down and lost his voice.
Big Heavy Stuff scored the support of the year, at least until next week or the week after, but one sorely sought after and Radiohead being the type of band they are, there were plenty of Perth musicians in attendance who wouldn’t have minded getting to do some Big Heavy Stuff all of their own. Hal Hartley would have been proud.
Probably catching some people unawares came the Stephen Hawking voice synthesiser of Fitter Happier and then, in a blast, Radiohead were there. Jonny Greenwood pulling those distinctive notes of Airbag out of his guitar with wanton force and Thom Yorke’s head lolling away to the music’s movement.
Talk Show Host was next unleashed and won a furious roar of approval which means everyone present must also be well versed with the Romeo & Juliet soundtrack every bit as much as OK Computer or one song on it at least.
Karma Police saw Yorke starting off on the second verse before he realised and ordered “stop” and then began all over again. No one minded a bit as it meant we got an extra intro and half verse of one of their most elegant pieces.
Lighters were pulled out for the start of Exit Music which goes to show that not all Radiohead fans have totally impeccable taste after all, but this was soon forgotten as Colin Greenwood wound up that night-stalker bass line and let it off with evil resonance. Somehow it all seemed far too short in a live context as it built and built and was suddenly gone.
The emphasis so far had been on the new, so My Iron Lung changed tack with all its own built-in drama. Thom Yorke decided to adopt a Lennon-palsied quick-step for parts of this and by the time that brutal onslaught of a timing change freakout occurred, just as Jonny let out yet another strangled cat from his box of guitar tricks, everyone was probably joining in.
Yorke had obviously loosened up by this stage, put at ease by the absolute lapping up going down in the audience.
“This next song is about Hollywood, a place that believes you can justify anything if you became famous, well it used to.”
Strike up Paranoid Android and a piece so impeccably superb and elegantly supreme it’s almost unbelievable.
Just and Fake Plastic Trees made for welcome inclusions from The Bends, showcasing just how diverse in tones that album is and then it was encore time, something no one wanted to face up to.
Yorke came on to do Killer Cars solo (and messed it up) before he introduced Creep with a guttural “aaaaaaaagggghh” almost as a reflection of seeing it on the setlist.
Thinking Of You through Climbing Up The Walls, Street Spirit and The Tourist helped to round out the finale and naturally so. Three of their best, they just couldn’t be missed out.
A deeply moving experience and one that blew away any other show in town, especially one where the main attraction was off the stage getting changed half the time. Two hours of blistering emotion — that’s what it’s all about and that’s what we received. We give thanks.
— GARETH GORMAN
This excerpt originally appeared in Issue 574 of X-Press Magazine, published on Thursday, February 12, 1998. Share your memories of this and other classic X-Press content by joining the Rewind Facebook group. Rewind: 40 Years of X-Press Magazine by Bob Gordon is on sale now in hardcover and softcover.
