Radiohead will bring 'Hail to the Thief' to the theater

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Is Radiohead going to change the entire setlist on each date?

Radiohead has begun its first tour in 7 years in Madrid, so the entire musical world has its eyes on the Spanish capital. One of the big unknowns of this round of concerts was the setlist. We knew that Thom Yorke’s band had so many songs in their repertoire that they had prepared around 65 songs to play live. Little did we know that each concert would be a completely different experience.

At the moment, Radiohead have only given half of the concerts scheduled in Madrid, on November 4 and 5. The first day the surprises included some of the band’s most beloved songs, such as ‘Karma Police’, ‘No Surprises’ or ‘The National Anthem’. None of these songs were played yesterday.

In their place, the aforementioned ‘OK Computer’ were replaced by ‘Exit Music (For A Film)’ and ‘Airbag’. According to what was written in the setlist, they were also going to play ‘Climbing Up the Walls’, but it was changed to ‘Myxomatosis’.

Overall, the concert focused on ‘In Rainbows’ and ‘The Bends’, but with nuances. From the second LP they did play ‘Planet Telex’ for the first time since 2017 and ‘(Nice Dream)’ for the first time since 2009. They also included ‘The Bends’ and ‘Street Spirit (Fade Out)’, which had not been played the day before. However, no sign of ‘Fake Plastic Trees’, which they did perform on the 4th.

‘In Rainbows’ lovers, on the other hand, surely enjoyed the inclusions of ‘All I Need’, ‘Nude’, ‘Reckoner’ and ‘Jigsaw Falling Into Place’, which was played for the first time in 16 years. On the other hand, songs like ‘Everything in Its Right Place’ or ‘Let Down’ simply radically changed places in the setlist. The latter opened the first concert and served as the beginning of the end in the second, being the first of the encore.

Will we have radically different setlists throughout this tour? Will they relax as the dates fill up? At the moment, in Madrid they still have to play on November 7th and 8th. What is clear is that if Radiohead wanted to change the 25 songs on the setlist at each concert, they could. It is also true that it would keep many people awake at night.

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Simon Müller

Simon Müller is the driving force behind UMusic, embodying a lifelong passion for all things melodious. Born and raised in New York, his love for music took form at an early age and fueled his journey from an avid music enthusiast to the founder of a leading music-centered website. Simon's diverse musical tastes and intrinsic understanding of acoustic elements offer a unique perspective to the UMusic community. Sporting a dedicated commitment to aural enrichment and hearing health, his vision extends beyond just delivering news - he aspires to create a network of informed, appreciative music lovers. Spend a moment in Mueller's company, and you'd find his passion infectious – music isn’t simply his job, it’s his heartbeat.