It's been a rough month for Radiohead. What should have been the final date on their North American tour ended in disaster when the outdoor stage at Toronto's Downsview Park collapsed, killing drum tech Scott Johnson and injuring a few others. The band's postponed European leg kicked off last night in Nimes, Frances, where it became quickly obvious that the horrible accident had yet to leave their minds.
In addition to opening with the sadly appropriate "Lucky" and flashing photos of Johnson on their now-stationary LED screen set-up, Radiohead also performed "Treenfingers," Kid A's funereal instrumental stopgap, for the very first time, presumably in honor of Scott. Take a look at a fan capture below.
To be honest, I never really envisioned them ever bringing this one on stage. It's beyond gorgeous, to say the least—the crowd sounds almost shocked into silence at first. It's a little disorienting to see the track constructed in real time: a slow-moving cloud of throbbing synthesizer chords, E-Bow guitar textures and whatever sonic confections Jonny Greenwood is brewing off in the corner. It's a beautifully subtle piece; here's hoping they decide to throw it into their sets on a semi-regular basis from now on.
What do you guys think? Any other not-so-closeted "Treefingers" fans out there? Hit up our comments section below.
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