Radiohead At The O2: A Return That Refused To Beg For Meaning

"Flying in from Los Angeles for a show is always a gamble, but some bands still justify the jet lag. Radiohead playing their first London concert in eight years is one of the few things left on earth worth crossing an ocean for. The O2 Arena was full before the lights even shifted. The crowd was mostly men, polite in that British way that looks like reservation but reads like reverence."

"The lighting operator deserves credit for the way the night opened. The flicker was slow, patient, deliberate. Not dramatic. Not a countdown to an eruption. More like the room clearing its throat. A few flickers, a drop in brightness, a hum moving through the air. Not tension, not suspense, just a shift in concentration. The arena felt like it was narrowing its focus to a single point, which turned out to be the five silhouettes walking onto the stage"

Radiohead played their first London concert in eight years at the O2 Arena, drawing a full, mostly male, and reverent crowd. The lighting opened with slow, patient flickers that focused attention rather than creating drama. The five band members walked onstage with quiet confidence and no theatricality. They opened with "2 + 2 = 5" then "Airbag", delivering sharp, precise performances. Early setlist included "Jigsaw Falling Into Place", "All I Need", "Ful Stop", "Nude", "Reckoner", and "The Bends". Yorke's voice had less elasticity but greater intention. The show balanced youthful propulsion with mature restraint.

Read at Consequence