Radiohead Kicks Off 2025 European Comeback Tour in Madrid

7 hours ago7 min read3 comments

The air in Madrid last night was thick with a kind of electric anticipation, a collective holding of breath that hadn't been felt in the European rock scene for nearly a decade. Then, the lights dipped, and a hush fell over the arena configured in the round, a stage setup that promised intimacy from a band known for its sprawling, complex soundscapes.When Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, and the rest of the Radiohead ensemble emerged, it wasn't with the blistering guitar of 'Creep' or the paranoid androidry of 'Paranoid Android,' but with the delicate, ascending piano arpeggios of 'Let Down. ' The choice was a masterstroke, a direct nod to the strange and beautiful alchemy of internet culture.For years, 'Let Down,' from the seminal 1997 album 'OK Computer,' was the subject of a passionate fan campaign, dubbed the 'Underrated Gem' meme, which argued for its place as one of the band's most tragically beautiful compositions. Its viral resurgence on platforms like TikTok and Reddit transformed it from a deep-cut favorite into a generational anthem, and by opening with it, Radiohead wasn't just playing a song; they were acknowledging a conversation, a shared history with their audience that had continued to evolve even in their absence.The performance was transcendent, Yorke's fragile tenor weaving through the intricate layers of guitar and Colin Greenwood's melodic bassline, building to that cathartic climax—'One day, I am gonna grow wings…'—that felt less like a lament and more like a prophecy fulfilled for the 50,000-strong choir singing along. This was more than a concert opener; it was a statement of intent, a bridge built between the band's storied past and its unexpectedly vibrant present.The setlist that unfolded was a carefully curated journey, a greatest hits package filtered through a curator's discerning eye. They delivered the expected anthems—the skittering, paranoid rhythms of 'Everything in Its Right Place' that still sound beamed from the future, the apocalyptic swell of 'Idioteque' that turned the arena into a pulsating, post-millennial dance floor.But the true headline, the moment that sent hardcore fans and setlist trackers into a collective frenzy, was the resurrection of 'Sit Down. Stand Up.' from 2003's 'Hail to the Thief. ' It was a track largely abandoned after its initial tour cycle, a 21-year ghost suddenly given flesh and sound.The song's hypnotic, repetitive piano figure and its explosive, rain-soaked crescendo—'The raindrops, the raindrops, the raindrops'—felt unnervingly relevant, a perfect soundtrack for an era of climate anxiety and political tumult. Watching Jonny Greenwood and Ed O'Brien layer textures of guitar and ondes Martenot, creating a swirling vortex of sound that enveloped the central stage, was to witness a band operating at the peak of its technical and emotional powers, rediscovering the hidden corners of its own catalog with the fresh ears of time.The 'in the round' configuration was not merely a gimmick; it was a philosophical choice. It dismantled the traditional barrier between performer and audience, creating a 360-degree spectacle where the light shows, designed by longtime collaborator Andi Watson, painted the crowd in shifting hues of anxiety and ecstasy, and every fan, regardless of seat, had a direct, personal sightline to the intricate, almost telepathic communication happening between the five members.It fostered a sense of communal experience, a shared ritual. This tour, announced after years of solo projects, side bands, and public ambivalence about the Radiohead machine, answers a question that has hung over the music world since their last major outing in 2018.In an age of algorithmically driven pop and fragmented listening habits, does a band like Radiohead, with its uncompromising artistic vision and dense, challenging music, still command such a massive, rapturous audience? The answer, screamed back in a dozen languages under the Madrid sky, was a resounding, ecstatic yes. They are not a nostalgia act trading on past glories; they are a living, breathing organism, their old songs gaining new resonance and their neglected tracks revealing new secrets.Last night in Madrid was not just a comeback; it was a reaffirmation. It was the sound of a band not running from its legacy, but rediscovering it, hand-in-hand with the fans who never stopped listening, and proving that the most complex, beautiful music often finds its moment, even if it takes 21 years.

#Radiohead

#European tour

#setlist

#comeback

#live performance

#Thom Yorke

#featured

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