Urbane, witty, well-dressed, and well-travelled? We weren't. That is, not until we kissed the ring and joined the world of corporate politics. W.~S.T.E. 4 examines how enrolling at the Thom Yorke Academy for the Deforming Arts has increased our sense of personal kudos since February.
But first, thanks to everyone who nas ~een to see us, l~ougnt our recorcs, ana wnrten to us over the past few months. We try to reply to as many letters as possible, and we're really sorry if yours isn't one of them.
Walking for miles in the cold without food. Being constantly shouted at. Sounds like a squaddy's lot. Actually, its what happens to you if you help out in a Radiohead video. We're really grateful to all the extras who appeared in our video for Pop is Dead.
Thanks!
Finally, if you run a fanzine and would like to fnd out abovt us, your safest bet is to contact our press agent, Caffy St Luce, at Hall or Nothing ( 081 740 6288). There is now a Radiohead fanzine called "Pop is Dead". If you want a copy please write to Val'' Savage, 26 Arundel Court,Beadham Drive, Manchester M9 3QS. There may be a modest charge to cover overheads.
Oh no! Its the tour bores!
Familiarity breeds contempt - fact! Just witness our friends' reaction to our well- worn travelling tales. In fact, just witness these selfsame tales yourselves and prepare to snore.
IsraelM/h3> Recognition on the beach, floating in the Dead Sea, fresh fruit and bagels - we suffer for our art. Following the success of Creep in Israel, we spent a week in Tel Aviv during March, with a back-breaking schedule of sun, sea and three gigs. However, despite appearances on natiorial TV and radio, attendances were down for the first two gigs. We enquired whether any other major talent was poaching our audience. "East 17", came the reply. Enough said. Nonetheless, Saturday night witnessed a packed house and a response which made Beatlemania look like a mild sedative.
UK: Pop is Dead Tour
Tepid reviews and some less than effecffve publicity marred the earlier stages of this tour in May. Tee-shirt bootleggers were seen touting their own grandmothers for sale after reviewing their returns firom the first few gigs. However, the quality of our merchandise, music, and support acts - Strangelove and Superstar - proved too much of an attraction and the ULU gig saw a capacity crowd. The grandmothers flew out.
We also appeared in Ireland for the first time in Dublin and Belfast, as well as playing a festival in front of 60,000 people in Harlem, Holland.
Hey! I care.
We took time out during a recent week of faking and shaking Stateside style, to offer soundly crap advice to emotionally distressed Californians. We appeared on KROQ's 'Loveline', addressing callers' problems with the sensitivity of a condom from the old Eastern Bloc. The station's ratings fell in direct proportion to the rise in attempted suicides. However, angst shifts units, and so Creep is now enjoying a considerable amount of success in the States.
Our promotional tour took us from New York, to LA, and then onto San Francisco, introducing us to the horrors of MlV interviews and the pleasures of riding in stretch limos along the way.
Househusband's tip
Cut home laundry bills in one easy move: don't go home! Radiohead rarely do, and they're reaping the benefits of their newly- found personal hygiene problems. You may have caught a whiff of them when they played in Europe, during June, in the following countries: Denmark, Sweden, Holland, and France.
At the end of June and during July they play America; Boston, Philadelphia, New York, Washington DC, Chicago,, Detroit, Toronto, Saltlake City, Seattle, Portland, Vancouver, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Diego, Boulder, Dallas, and Atlanta.
Why not develop a personal hygiene problem of your own and come and see them play at Reading (August 28).
Countries we won't be visiting (yet)
Japan, Italy, and many, many more - sorry! There are no definite plans for our next UK tour, but as soon as there are, they will be sent to you.
Radiohead Hit List
Ed : Moose -XYZ Bob Dylan - Blood on the tracks (LP)
Thom: Blur - Modern life is rubbish Scott Walker - Boy Child
Phil : XTC - English Settlement Nick Drake- Five Leaves Left
Jonny: Some pseudy classical record Some very obscure second-hand Coltrane album (on vinyl!)
Colin: The Go-Betweens - 16 Lovers' Lane Gram Parsons & The Grevious Angels with Emmylou Harris - Live 1973
Journo Hit List
1 - Everett True
(most hated journo in Melody Maker)
2 - Jonny Dee (who he? - NME)
3 - Keith Cameron (liiy-livered excuse for contentious journo - NME
4- Sean Hughes (you lose)
5 - Steve Sutherland (Suede-lover - NME/MM)
100% Recycled Ideas
To add to our ever-increasing line of eminently collectable waxings, we went into Chipping Norton Studios in March, to record our last single 'Pop is Dead'~ It was co-produced by us and our live sound engineer, Jim Warren. We are currently working with him on a remix of Stop Whispering for release in the States in October. Plans are also underway for the recording of the second album, with the possibility that Chris Thomas (The Sex Pistols, The Pretenders, etc) will produce it. Watch this space for more details.
Girls on film
We've practised our very own form of butch method acting in three minor epics:
Creep - shot in front of a home crowd at the Venue in Oxford. We haven't been asked back since! Dir: Brett Tumbull
Anyone can play Guitar - Given the choice between a sunny break in Israel and a freezing day in a disused swimming pool in Hornsey, which would you choose? Well, we didn't! Sub-zero temperatures account for the frosty expressions on our album photos. Dir: Dwight Clarke.
Pop is Dead - Obsessed with exotic locations and tropical climates we shot this video around White Horse Hill and Jarn Mound in Oxfordshire. Dir: Dwight Clarke.
Maybe we'll call the next single ' A week of over-indulgence in the Caribbean.' Crap title admittedly, but we think there's a video in it!
Radiohead are:
Thom E Yorke (24)
Lead vocals & guitar
Jonny Greenwood (21) Lead guitar
Ed O'Brien (25) Backing vocals & guitar
Colin Greenwood (23) Bass
Philip Selway (26) Drums