Category: Radiohead

From NME-
Radiohead’s Thom Yorke is spearheading a growing chorus of protest aimed at US President George Bush?s visit to the UK ? branding him and Tony Blair “liars”.
Bush and a massive entourage came to London this week (November 18) for a rare state visit. Even before he arrived the trip provoked fury, with reports that US security officials wanted to create a three mile ?exclusion zone? around him, effectively shutting down central London and stopping legitimate protesters from getting anywhere near the President.
Angry at what he sees as using the “threat of terrorism to suppress whatever they choose”, Thom Yorke e-mailed NME last week, urging people to protest against the visit.
When asked why he?d chosen to speak out, Thom told NME: “To make Blair squirm over his decision to take us into a illegitimate war (In Iraq) and follow this religious lunatic (Bush) toward a dangerous future for the whole planet.
“Both of these men are liars. We have right to call them such, they are putting our children?s future in jeopardy. They are not controlling the terrorist threat, they are escalating it. Blair will not be allowed off the hook by his pathetic pleading for us to ?move on?, neither shall Bush.”
Thom continued: “(The visit) will be heavily staged I think. I expect they will use the threat of terrorism to suppress whatever they choose, intimidate and arrest whoever they wish. The majority of British people were against this war, and Bush’s visit will just taint Blair even further.”
While in the UK Bush will be staying in Buckingham Palace. Yorke urged the Royal Family to “do something useful” and protest too. He continued: “This is a royal invitation isn’t it? How about one of the little heirs to throne doing something useful with their lives and speaking out? Refusing to shake hands for example? As we are still awaiting the results of the Hutton Inquiry I think now is a good time to remind Blair that he’s on very very very very very very very very thin ice.”
The article continues with further comments from Damon Albarn and Fran Healy (of Travis- playing second fiddle to Radiohead once more?). Read it here.

Entertainment Weekly posted, in their Listen2This section, the top 10 tours of 2003, according to Pollstar.
Radiohead, for the week of 11/7/03, were at $713,630 per week, average. It was number 8 on the list, above Cher and Justin/Christina, but below Bruce/E Street, Aerosmith/Kiss, Dave Matthews Band, Shania, Ozzfest 2003, Fleetwood Mac and the Dead.
(thanks to Heath)

We’ve been told that the band will be appearing on the Mark and Lard show on BBC Radio 1 this Friday 21st November, between 1 and 3pm, GMT.
(thanks to Benn)

THIS WEEK – BODYSONG – THE FILM BY SIMON PUMMELL WITH A BRILLIANT SOUNDTRACK BY JONNY GREENWOOD won an British Independent Film Award (Bifa) for Best British documentary feature. The film can be seen in UK cinemas nationwide from December 5th. Below are details for screenings:
On December 5th Bodysong opens at Wardour Street Odeon
Sheffield Showroom
Brixton Ritzy – 2/1/04 7 days
Manchester Cornerhouse – 2/1/04 7 days
Liverpool Picturehouse – 2/1/04 3 days
Coventry Warwick Arts – 20/2/04 2 days
Birmingham Midland Arts – 20/2 2 days

Several people have written in to describe the DVD, and most have expressed severe disappointment. The content is essentially as follows-
2+2=5-
Best described as the words on the promo cover flying into the picture as the song plays. Note that this is not really a video (see below for an explanation why).
Sit Down Stand Up Video-
From the first Gigantic Lying Mouth episode. Basically zooming through a city, speeding up in time to the climax of the song.
The Most Gigantic Lying Mouth of All Time Excerpt-
The “host” of TMGLMOAT reads the lyrics to No Surprises over a strange MIDI version of the song, as strangely cheap effects mimic the lighting of the No Surprises video. Rather funny, actually.
It must be noted that Official UK Charts Company (the OCC is basically the Billboard of the UK, responsible for the sales charts) rules for CD and DVD singles state that there is a maximum of three tracks (only two of which can be videos), and a time limit of twenty minutes. This is also why all recent Radiohead singles have been two-part releases, another frequent question.
The rules must be followed in order to get a single on the charts, so although it’s compulsory, nearly every major label follows them.

Thom, Ed, and Colin popped in on MTV2’s Subterranean last Friday night. Some highlights were-
-Thom and Colin naming “Hey Ya” by OutKast the single of the year.
-The rarely seen Stop Whispering video.
-Thom commenting on how the crew was so bored with the setlists by the end of the European tour that they complained, so now he changes them more often.
-Ed commenting on how the band hasn’t been in a video since High & Dry.
-Thom ranting about how the record companies are using file-swapping as a scapegoat for people not buying the garbage being released.
(Thanks to Jim and At Ease.)