“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” So reads the third of British author Arthur C Clarke’s Three Laws. There were one dozen square panels twisting, tessellating, hovering above Radiohead throughout the band’s first Melbourne appearance since 2004. They married a sense of tremendous scale and tasteful understatement, providing striking monochromatic imagery and patterns, then at times streaming alternate onstage close-ups of each band member’s sonic craftsmanship. It was seamless, flawless. It was magic.
With arena tours, especially those showcasing elaborate stage production, there is often little-to-no variance in terms of setlists throughout the worldwide jaunt. Radiohead prove to be one of the few exceptions, with distinct variations throughout their current touring cycle.
The second encore was a strange beast. King Of Limbs standout Give Up The Ghost was intoxicatingly calming. 15 Step felt out of place as the night’s penultimate number, perhaps too indelibly linked as an opener on In Rainbows. Everything In Its Right Place, replete with an intro segue of Björk’s Unravel, had its house tendencies extrapolated masterfully.
The highlights were bountiful. It would be bold to declare Idioteque as timeless – but 12 years on from Kid A, it holds up as sounding as fresh as ever. Thom’s vocals were incredible. The electronica-based compositions were spectacular. Johnny Greenwood’s pad-tinkering on Feral was mesmerising, and the blend of synthetic and organic drums was indistinguishable with the dual live drum action of Phil Selway and touring percussionist Clive Deamer. The main portion of the set and the first encore were closed out by fuzzed out guitar numbers in Bodysnatchers and Paranoid Android respectively. Pulling off a sense of intimacy, such as what was achieved with House Of Cards, in a packed tennis arena was a triumph in itself.
It’s easy to be either cynical or sanctimonious with Radiohead. There is no consensus with their best album – OK Computer? The Bends? Kid A? – nor their worst – Pablo Honey? Hail To The Thief? King Of Limbs? Their ‘classics’ (tonight featured Karma Police and Paranoid Android in this regard) elicit both arm-in-arm singalongs and smatterings of internet groaning.
The perennial, ever-revisionist, discussion is a testament to the Radiohead canon. But the discussion only gets you so far. Tonight, Melbourne witnessed a defined apex of artistry and technology.
BY LACHLAN KANONIUK
LOVED: Thom’s shape-pulling capabilities.
HATED: Trying not to look like an idiot while unsuccessfully trying to scan the QR codes on the six ceiling-adorned screens.
DRANK: Draught.
