Radiohead Kicks Off European Tour With First Live Performance in 7 Years

Last night, Tuesday, November 4, Radiohead took to the stage at Madrid’s Movistar Arena after a seven-year hiatus from performing live. The Madrid performance was part of Radiohead’s sold-out 20-date tour, which includes dates in the United Kingdom, Italy, Denmark, and Germany. The tour is set to conclude on Friday, December 12, in Berlin, Germany.

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Prior to their performance in Madrid, the last time Radiohead took the stage was in 2018 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on August 1. Subsequently, the band announced a hiatus, but each member continued to record. Particularly, Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood, as they teamed up with British drummer Tom Skinner, formed the band Smile, and released three studio LPs.

For roughly the last year or so, Radiohead has continuously teased their reunion, and finally, that reunion has come to fruition. In a press statement released earlier this year, drummer Philip Selway stated, “Last year, we got together to rehearse, just for the hell of it.” “After a seven-year pause, it felt really good to play the songs again and reconnect with a musical identity that has become lodged deep inside all five of us,” added Selway.

What to Expect from Radiohead’s Return

For the opening night of their European tour, Radiohead played some of their biggest hits, as well as a few of their lesser-known ones. Regarding their hits, Radiohead performed “Karma Police”, “Paranoid Android”, “You and Whose Army?”, and “Fake Plastic Trees”. A few of the fan favorites from the evening included “Subterranean Homesick Alien”, “A Wolf at the Door”, “Videotape”, and “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi”. Unsurprisingly, the band did not play their iconic hit, “Creep”.

While the setlist will surely change night by night, last night’s concert seemingly gave fans a taste of what to expect from this 20-date European tour. Radiohead plays the second show of their tour tonight, Wednesday, November 5, at the Movistar Arena in Madrid. Following their stint in Spain, which ends on November 8, the band will then head to Bologna, Italy, for a four-night stint at the Unipol Arena. Radiohead is back, and will be for at least another month!

Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage