Radiohead World Service #2

H.E.L.P.

Donations can be made to Warchild (Reg. Charity No. 1015717) at 7/12 Greenland Street, London, NW1 OND, by cheque or postal order made payable to Warchild. Donations can be made at banks into its account at Lloyds Banks, Salisbury, A/C No. 0782168, sort code 30-97-41

Helping the children of war-torn Bosnia is reason enough, but should you need further persuasion, the cream of British music have each recorded a track under the guise of ‘War Child’ to produce the John Lennon - inspired ‘Instant Album’ HELP. Oh yes, and Radiohead contribute magnificent ‘Lucky’, a mere taste of things to come. Buy the album. Solve those Christmas gift problems in one fell swoop, and buy a bucket load. Then do it all again with the EP. Just a few quid provides medical assistance, food provision, social welfare, education etc, on a long term, on-going basis - it's as simple as that.
(Thanks to Pippa Hall at Go! Discs and Caffy St. Luce for - their help with this feature).

Track listing

1. Oasis and Friends – "Fade Away"
2. The Boo Radleys – "Oh Brother"
3. The Stone Roses – "Love Spreads"
4. Radiohead – "Lucky"
5. Orbital – "Adnan"
6. Portishead – "Mourning Air"
7. Massive Attack – "Fake the Aroma" (alternate version of Karmacoma)
8. Suede – "Shipbuilding"
9. The Charlatans – "Time For Livin'"
10. Stereo MC's – "Sweetest Truth (Show No Fear)"
11. Sinéad O'Connor – "Ode to Billie Joe"
12. The Levellers – "Searchlights"
13. Manic Street Preachers – "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head"
14. Terrorvision – "Tom Petty Loves Veruca Salt"
15. The One World Orchestra featuring The Massed Pipes and Drums of the Children's Free Revolutionary Volunteer Guards (aka The KLF) – "The Magnificent "
16. Planet 4 Folk Quartet – "Message to Crommie"
17. Terry Hall and Salad – "Dream a Little Dream of Me"
18. Neneh Cherry and Trout – "1, 2, 3, 4, 5 "
19. Blur – "Eine Kleine Lift Musik"
20. The Smokin' Mojo Filters – "Come Together"

[quotes about H.E.L.P. compilation]

"Current chart champs Blur, in their former guise of Seymour, chip in with a quizzical rococo instrumental – “Eine Kleine Lift Musik”, which is as off-handedly amusing as its title. The most impressive track is by Radiohead, whose “Lucky” continues the grand emotional sweep of The Bends. More importantly – amazingly for a charity record – there are virtually no lemons. Kudos to all concerned. AG"

"Help, which was executive produced by Brian Eno, a patron of War Child, does enough to earn our cash. In fact, it starts magnificently, with the first six tracks, taken together, easily justifying the price of purchase. The Stone Roses’ swampy slide guitar and Piano-strewn Love Spreads – which frankly, is a hundred times better than their single or album versions – and Radiohead’s spine-tinglingly emotive Lucky are each worth the price on their own. Stereo MC’s also provide an intriguing glimpse of what they’ve been up to these past couple of years and Portishead, Orbital, Neneh Cherry and Trout, Blur and Massive Attack all acquit themselves very creditably indeed."

"Other distinguished members of an impressive parade of highlights are: The Boo Radley’s (a lovely new song, “Oh…Brother”); Radiohead (adding, with new song “Lucky” further weight to the theory that they are no longer capable of anything but brilliance)"

"Radiohead, Lucky: Criminally underrated Oxford band might just steal the show with this magnificent slow burner."

"A special mention should be made of two magnificent exclusives. Radiohead's ‘Lucky’ soars on a potion of hope and melancholy while Stereo MC's ‘Sweet Truth‘, their first new output in years, re-establishes them as the guv’nors of the gossamer groove."

"On any compilation, there are tracks which quickly fall foul of your CD machine’: ‘programme’ button, but Portishead's poignantly eery ‘Mourning Air (War Child)‘, the Stereo MCs surprisingly lithe ‘Sweetest Truth’ and Radiohead's magnificent ‘Lucky’ give weight to ‘Help’, where Weller, Oasis and Blur give it star appeal. This is pop music acting out of character: being important and original at the same time for once. ‘Help’ is out now on Gi! Discs. Live dates are planned. Full ‘Help’ track listing in Sleevenotes"

"Portishead, Stereo MCs, Orbital, Terrorvision and the Boo Radleys have all donated strong new songs, but of the hard workers it is Radiohead who take the honours with “Lucky”, a slow, melancholy opus that touches the nerve endings others rarely reach."

Radiohead at MTV

THE BRIEF : RADIOHEAD TO APPEAR ON MTV's MOST WANTED
THE VENUE : MTV STUDIOS - CAMDEN TOWN, LONDON
TIME/DATE : 18TH AUGUST 1995 AT 20:00 HRS

Armed with this information, we set about the task of blagging our way into the studios. So, with endless phone calls made to endless people, with endless promises of "We'll see what we can do", only 2 days before the show did we get the ok. After checking in, and an agonising wait, we were whisked through the labyrinth of corridors, catching glimpses of the ‘Rogues Gallery‘ of Rock N’ Roll has-beens and beauty queens, to finally arrive at the Most Wanted studio. Our first impression was the size of the studio. Hats off to the set designer's, how can such a tiny room (the size of a generous living room) look so big on TV?

Anyway - this wasn't the time to admire the scenery - Radiohead were rehearsing their songs for tonight’s show. We sat on the empty ‘clubbed‘ with Tim the Tour Manager (bloody nice chap) and a lady from EMI. The sound was superb - and very loud. After a run through of ‘Just’, they played the intro to ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond‘ - THE Pink Floyd track. I felt like a kid again. Whether it was the excitement, or the pre-MTV beer, l don't know, but l needed the loo - so off I hopped.

When l returned, l opened the studio door and let these 5 blokes out before l re- entered. The orange haired one was discussing the sound quality with the others, ending with “Blooming heck" or something similar. Mike and myself then decided to go for a fag, then hang around the ‘comfy area‘, with a view to having a chin-wag with someone. Colin walked past, then Thom, and l thought, “lntroduce yourself". So then, Ed was walking back into Hospitality when we collared him for a chat. It's time like these when you wish you'd brought your recording walkman and a camera. Anyway – Ed sat and talked to us for a good 20 minutes, about many things, such as new songs (we all really like ‘Lucky’) the ‘Just‘ video shoot, life on the tour bus. I didn't even have a bloody pen and paper - we just figured we‘d be shipped in for the performance, then out again. But here we were, asking stupid unprepared questions to big Ed.

Mr. O'Brien is a real interviewer's dream - he just talked and talked, making our ‘Job’ so easy. Not wishing to miss any of the show, or risk not being allowed back in, l decided to force myself to use the loo again. This time, the orange haired chap was ‘washing up’. Amused to see my Radiohead t-shirt, he chuckled and returned to his cubicle. Being a somewhat private location, l decided not to ask Thom anything, and duly left.

After the ‘guess-who-I-saw-in-the-bog’ anecdote, me and Mike returned to the studio, where we had prime position - next to the sound mixer. During a commercial break, the band ran through ‘Just’ to check the levels, camera angles etc, then returned to their room to await their cue. At the end of the show, they covered one o Thom's personal favourites - Carly Simon‘s ‘Nobody Does lt Better’ (from the 007 movie ‘The Spy Who Loved Me‘ fact fans). What a way to end the series.

Afterwards, we introduced ourselves to Thom in-between his signing autographs for ‘club bed‘, then he kept himself amused by watching 'Beavis 8. Butthead‘ on the monitors before going back to the rest of the band for some light refreshments*. After asking Ray Cokes (who loves Radiohead) to sign a photo for my mum, we grabbed a kebab outside and made a return journey from Camden to Ipswich - still buzzing, knowing tonight we had witnessed something very special indeed. Special thanks to Rob Lewis, Katie Cinch and a whole host of other people that made today possible.

*They got pissed.

MILTON KEYNES BOWL JULY 30 '95

Photos by Valerie Phillips

On this day REM played the second of two dates at Milton Keynes. Supported by bands hand picked by REM, the second date included Sleeper, The Cranberries and Radiohead. Radio One were on hand to broadcast the REM set live, and to record highlights of the supporting acts. What follows is a transcript of the interview with Ed and Thom before their set. The Interviewer was... that bloke who does the evening session... you know - him! The photos were taken by Valerie Phillips and appear courtesy of Smash Hits

...and we spoke to Thom and Ed from Radiohead in the Radio One truck this afternoon, with Ed telling us about that REM gig that happened 10 years ago when they supported U2.

Ed: I remember it was a really wet day and REM, I think they were touring when Fables of the reconstruction came out, and there was a kind of sombre atmosphere I remember on stage, but I mean it was great - they were supporting U2 and there were the Ramones, Spear of Destiny, Billy Bragg and er - The Faith Brothers - where are they now!

DJ: So, did you at that point think “One day I’ll be on that stage myself?"

Ed: No - I think l was a bit drunk

Thom: Yeah you did, you came back and said “Yeah, we’re gonna do that"

Ed: I remember going to Glastonbury thinking “Right, next time we go, hopefully we'll be playing Glastonbury, it won’t be as a punter

DJ: Do you remember anything particular from REM’s set that day?

Ed: Yeah. I remember the song off Fables called “Can‘t Get There from Here” which was amazing and it was like everyone was completely wet, but everyone started dancing. I don't know if you know the song, but it’s pretty ‘Up’ and it was great - really great moment

DJ: So we know it’s quite hectic for Radiohead at the moment, because we spoke to you on the phone on the Evening Session earlier in the week, but just tell us exactly where you‘ve been in the last 4 days

Ed: We did a gig in, where was it - Ottawa.

Thom: We did Canada, and New York.

Ed: And home.

Thom: Yeah - we’re shooting a video tomorrow, for ‘Just’, and then we fly to Berlin the next morning, very early.

DJ: So what was your last gig in America like?

Thom: Oh, it was awful - awful.

Ed: It was a place called Saratoga Winners, in this kind of shack in up state New York, in Albany. It’s a real, real dive and it’s like really humid there as well, they’ve got this heatwave as well at the moment - five English blokes, you know - we were wasting away.

Thom: And then before that, we done two amazing shows in Canada, that were some of the most exciting shows we’ve ever done I think.

DJ: What size of audiences are you playing out there on this tour?

Thom: It goes between 500 to 1000.

DJ: Just 64,000 less than you’re playing to today, when you get to a gig this size - when you’re on stage, what do you focus on?

Thom: I seem to remember when we did Reading, focusing on the stupid camera that was flying around in front of my face, and wanting to throw my guitar at it, other times I focused at screaming at the Sound Engineer off stage, and other times I try to focus just at the front few rows really

DJ: Because obviously with the popularity in America and the rest of the world as Well, you must have played quite big gigs in other places outside the UK

Thom: Yeah. One gig we did about 2 months ago, it was in Italy, in Rome - it was like a free festival in the centre of Rome. Everyone in Rome went, and it was like half a million people in this enormous square at the centre of Rome, and then it was to 7 million people live all around Italy as well and we only had to do 2 songs! So we went on and did ‘The Bends’ and ‘High and Dry’, and there wasn’t time to really get into it, and so there we were just shaking, and then we had to walk off stage. I went offstage and went straight to the bar and drank an entire bottle of wine, and just at the end of that bottle of wine, I could just about speak - it was so scary. And Elvis Costello was doing it as well, and he was more scared than me.

DJ: Brilliant! I noticed earlier on, just as you were sound checking - you did, er ‘Rock This Town’ - the old Stray Cats number. So this is what you get up to before the doors are opened! Have you got any particular favourite sound check covers?

Ed: What’s my favourite? - “Aveline, Aveline - women there don’t treat you mean”. I think that’s by George Hamilton TV.

DJ: It’s the height of lyricism I think. So after this - staying around for REM’s performance I imagine, then off back to London to make this video, or do you go somewhere exotic?

Thom: There’s a set being built, and we’re shooting it in the GLC building - the old GLC building, I’m not quite sure where we’re going really and then we fly back to Berlin really early the next morning.

DJ: That’s Thom and Ed from Radiohead off to Europe with REM and er, Radiohead’s Tour Manager was telling me earlier on that the band are big in Tel Aviv which is one of the places that they’ re going on this tour before finally ending up back in the States. They've also apparently - Radiohead - got the same tour bus now which they started with 5 years ago. Anyway, here comes the highlights from their set. On 97-99 FM Radio One - Radiohead live at the Milton Keynes Bowl.

My Iron Lung/Bones/Anyone Can Play Guitar/High and Dry
Fake Plastic Trees/Planet Telex/Just/The Bends
(C***P and Street Spirit were also performed, but not broadcast)

Radiohead - 'Dear Diary'

During the March tour of this year, Radiohead were asked to ‘Tear out’ a page of their diaries and submit these to a National daily newspaper. For whatever reason, they remained unused until now. Radiohead World Service are proud to present...

TRURO – SATURDAY 11TH MARCH. . .
Despite the initial disappointment of Truro not being by the sea, I soon warmed to the prospect of playing in one of Britain's least visited touring outposts.
The venue wasn't accustomed to our kind of show, but the gig definitely benefited from this. The hall smelt of musty holiday homes rather than stale smoke and alcohol. Common touring-jargon also caused some misunderstandings. When our promoter, Mark, told the security that we were expecting some "surfers" at the gig (people who jump offstage and are passed back over the audience) and that they should be treated well, eager nods of agreement were exchanged. After the show, the security congratulated Mark on a great gig, but left him bemused as they said: "Mind you, it's a shame your mates couldn't make it - there must’ve been some really good waves down at Newquay today to keep them away!”
PHILIP SELWAY (DRUMS)

CHIPPING NORTON - SUNDAY 12TH MARCH. . .
Ah! A day of rest for most but another day of "rock" for Radiohead! We arrive in the sleepy Cotswold town of Chipping Norton, greeted by the soft pealing of church bells, and the gentle baaing of spring-time sheep dotted about the green rolling hills. We're here to record a new b-side "India Rubber" to accompany our next single, "Fake Plastic Trees". Greeted by Richard and Shirley Vernon at Chipping Norton Studio (where we did "Pablo Honey"), we set about shaping our little lump of sonic clay until in becomes a Barry White-meets-Dinosaur Jr. ‘behemoth’ of a song. Satisfied, we repair for dinner under the watchful sheen of gold records by Bay City Rollers Barbara Dickson and, er, us. To think!
Next morning, our tour manager, Tim, leads us gently away. Damn! No time to visit Ronnie Barker and his antique shop!
COLIN GREENWOOD (BASS)

WOLVERHAMPTON - MONDAY 15TH MARCH
Drive to Wolverhampton and search for a swimming pool (the new game on tour). Am directed to a 'leisure pool’ and upon arrival am horrified to discover that ix: is not only packed with screaming children but also that the pool itself resembles a lower intestine in shape with all manner of tubes (officially termed 'flumes'). With no prospect of any lengths to be swam in this ‘kid's soup’, I opt to flume for the first time ever. No for the faint of heart, only because I'm about sixteen years older and ten stone heavier than anyone else present. Strike up a conversation in the queue for the flume with an eleven year old called Darren and discuss the pros and cons of Donkey Kong Junior (computer game). Feeling a lot more relaxed now and in synch with my surroundings. Not long though before I have to dash out of the pool for my first cigarette of the day. Darren gives me a light. Oh yes, and the album is released today...
ED O'BRIEN (POLITE GUITAR)

SHEFFIELD - TUESDAY 14TH MARCH
A confession... I spent the afternoon lurking like a deviant in Sheffield's HMV, watching people buying our new record. Ugg. This is, of course, utterly unforgivable (not to mention voyeuristic) but, like a novelist and his readership, you wonder. . .who?
So, with my vantage point in the ‘Easy Listening’ section, I could pretend to deliberate between two "Manhattan Transfer" albums, while surreptitiously watching the people of Sheffield listening to our album on a "listening post", (and subsequently buying/not buying it, listening to some songs, skipping past others).
A voice: "Excuse me. . .are you Jonny from Radiohead?" Double nightmare - how do I explain to this beautiful indie-kid why I was watching her listen to our CD for twenty minutes? AND what do I say when I follow her gaze to the Manhattan Transfer albums in my left hand?
JONNY GREENWOOD (ABUSIVE GUITAR)

ABERDEEN - WEDNESDAY 15TH MARCH
Diet coke for breakfast. Aberdeen. Late. Stand dumbfounded on the Ling stage. The crew scratch their professional capacities making throat slicing gestures. NME arrives via Jonny. 9/10 with a gold star and some silly pictures. It is communicated to me that Simon Le Bon loves the album "to death" — does this mean I can crash their parties and perhaps end up in a cupboard with a supermodel?... (At this point I put thick black lines through sixty words on being asked to ‘comment on Richey Manic's disappearance by Radio 4. Nothing I write expresses how riled I am about even being asked). I go shopping and ‘selfishly, criminally, spend £100 on high street consumable nothingness to remind myself what it's like. I selfishly ponder our frothing press. I selfishly ponder the next album...
THOM YORKE (VOCALS/GUITAR)

LIVERPOOL LOMAX - FEB 10TH '95

(Un-used student magazine interview.)

by Simon Jaworski

It’s incredible the difference a little thought makes, or indeed the gift of good timing. Take the great Impressionists. Monet, Manet, Renoir, Yarwood. They all had special gifts, put a lot of nowse into everything, but they all got screwed due to their apparent bad timing, except for poor old Mike who was just a talentless git. So unfortunately the great Painters all died poor, and in our day and age their works of art are worth millions. Tough fucking shit! They should have followed the Radiohead guide to succeeding in your own lifetime. Basically, if you’ve got a magnificent beast of a record, (‘C***P’ - 1992 & l993’s single of the year"), just keep releasing it until it becomes a success. Simple, but very effective I’m sure you’ll agree. So how do the band hope to break the ‘One song’ tag? Thom, the truly engaging front man, responds. "There is a huge fear in the music industry. The fear of failure. No one every takes risks, it’s so depressing. ‘They’ try to hammer it out of you. No risks. No mistakes. You’re supposed to make mistakes, as it’s the only way to learn".

Radiohead certainly takes risks. One quote from the various press releases, reads, "Our day will come. It may take some time but it will. For now, it’s other people’s loss". "Ah, that was me." Ed beams. "I said it to John Harris of NME before the release of ‘C***P’ and he said that we’d have had a front cover if we’d been on an Independent’ label. Three years on and we still haven’t had one. The statement was just to show that we had some inner strength, a firm belief in our talents, which may sound vitriolic but it’s how it’s always been". Phil, the drummer, butts in, "You see in England people hate it when you’re confident in what you do, little realising the substantial difference between confidence and arrogance. Oh shit, that sounded arrogant didn’t it". Yes. But who cares. Let’s talk records.

"The Bends", got it’s title because Thom’s been using a lot of medical imagery, and without sounding wanky it is the diving condition and it relates to how we felt as a group for a lot of last year, especially with the pressure being built up to follow C***P and Pablo Honey". I, personally, will go out on a limb here and state quite categorically that it’s the best album of the year so far by streets. But, and listen up all you who were slightly perplexed by the oddity of a certain other bands ‘second coming’, this LP is no radical change of direction to their previous work.

Ed again, "Admittedly it is no great departure from it’s predecessor but it’s certainly a natural preogression from Pablo Honey, a linear pattern, although tracks like Planet Telex’ and ‘Street Spirit’ are quite dramatically different from songs we’ve written before. We have to be very careful as progressive rock/pop musicians as we don’t play all varieties of music so to a certain extent we are limited. It has to be said thought that Thorn’s lyrics are phenomenal, he’s put such effort in. After the surprise success of Pablo, people started asking questions and reading in to his lyrics, which came as something of a shock to him".

I ask the band what it was like working with the studio legend, John Leckie? "Bastard!" comes the initial response, swiftly followed by "Why don’t you ask him, he’s sat on the table over there?" I turn to look in both amazement and slight embarrassment. Shit. Help. Phil to the rescue. "Before this album we had a real studio phobia and we’d get paralysis every time the little red light would come on. John basically showed us how to feel confident and we will undoubtedly work with him again". Time for a sharp exit to the latrine.

The band as a whole ado re the music press (ahem!), particularly the regional publications, thought I can categorically state, dear reader, that the offer of some free Chinese food will hold no sway with this journalist. The offer of a free beer on the other hand.....

"We’re always keen to hear good critical appraisal, although you can never second guess peoples agendas on these things. I think there’s a feeling on this album though, that if the weeklies don’t like it... then fuck it... we’re really proud of this album and if it sells miserably, we don’t care, we know we’ve made the best album we can at the time. lf the NME and MM don’t like it, that’s too bad. Having been around the world you can look at it in the real perspective... of how really inconsequential they actually are. Oh thank-you. Do you have chopsticks?" The food’s arrived, and Ed’s being a smart bastard. Phil and myself decide to decline the offer of Chinese cutlery and opt for a large fork, and spoon. A good move, we both agree. Mouths full of Blackbean sauce and Sweet and Sour Pork we carry on regardless. Well Ed does. "We’re in a fortunate position that the first album sold in a whole host of countries so we got to play live in New Zealand, Thailand, the Mexican provinces amongst others, so our fingers in many pies already".

As the food digests, the night unfolds to produce one of the Lomax’s finest moments since conception, Radiohead never cease to astound. They play nine songs off the new LP and all are extremely well received. But the stagediving/moshing doesn’t truly hit home until they rip through ‘Prove Yourself, ‘C**P’, Blow Out’, and ‘You’ and the kids go mental. Ok, so it’s a secret gig for fanclub members, but it’s a glorious sight anyway. In two nights time Radiohead will play a benefit gig for the Oxford Apollo, their home town stadium. "It’s our Wembley. I remember seeing Dana in Panto as Snow White there. We love the place, it’s our spiritual home. Oxford only has one real venue and it should not be allowed to close. It’ll certainly be the most nervous l will have been for a gig. l mean we’ll know around half the audience".

For those of you who haven’t been ‘a blue’, the Apollo is equivalent to our own Royal Court. I mean, imagine Liverpool without it. Ok bad example, perhaps. But the situations sound surprisingly similar. "In Oxford classical music is given full council backing, whereas Pop Music has to fund itself. I mean look at the amount of money generated by our industry and compare that to the total snobbery. But maybe that’s why you get great bands, bands that kick out against the system. They have something to fight against".

The snobbery they refer to is rife. Radio l deemed "C***P.... too depressing a song in a depression’ whilst ‘Iron Lung’ their first release off the new long player, was ‘too raucous’ for the alleged ‘new look’ (but obviously not new sounding) lFM. But who needs a poxy little radio station where the only half decent daytimejock has finally come to his senses and is leaving. Fans are the ones who buy records, and this band know how to treat them well. Thom tells of the acoustic gigs across the country, where in Scotland, BT rang up the local radio station, Forth FM, to ask why all the phones were jammed. Tickets were being given away for free. Enough said. And Ed recalls telling his parents (Ahhh!) how they got a free taxi ride in Israel whilst walking down the street at 4am, simply because the cabby wanted an autograph, and mum and dad’s reaction was ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah right.....so what drugs were you taking’.

With their first album selling over a million copies world wide, a single (C***P) Jon Bon Jovi wishes he’d wrote (no such luck I’m afraid), a huge loyal fan base, being Britain’s hottest export for years combined with powerful and emotive live performances, Radiohead have a lot to answer for. They can only, and will only, enhance their reputation and unlike certain other artists l could mention, their big fat pay day is just around the corner. As is your local record store handily. So Deep Sea Divers, fuck the swimming for a while, and get ‘The Bends’. It may be un-chartered water, but it will do you the world of good.

[newspaper clippings]

"Well there you have it, a credible, cool UK guitar band you can genuinely believe, who also happen to be disturbingly fuckin’ good. What more could you ask for?"

"And his voice either just melted down the mike and through the speakers, or shrapnel-exploded, taking our hearts and respect with it."

"Fugazi’s intelligent aggression gets the thumbs up ,as does the DJ in Newcastle who has been playing “Prove Yourself” – with its key refrain of “I’m better off dead” – on hospital radio!"

"Listening to the epic musical tales of the Clash and early U2, Frontman Thom has a nuclear powered voice that can scream and swoop like a randy jet fighter on heat, and he flicks it nimbly between this emotional roar and slow, simple harmonies."

"But what are we supposed to think when the lead singer of on e of the most talked about new bands in Britain so mercilessly slags himself off in front of a full house of already devoted followers."

"Pale, with jagged cropped blond hair, Thom constantly picks at his oversized jumper as he shrinks further into the corner and pushes his blood pressure to the limit."

"...‘em something different. I went home wondering whether it would be a cliché to end the review I was about to write with the realisation that Radiohead really are so fucking special. It was, but I meant it."

"Before tonight’s set I asked singer/guitarist Thom, who would describe their sound. I received a simple reply, “It’s not indie, it’s whatever people conceive us to be"."

" “I am resigned to the fact that day-time radio will not play it, but we are releasing it because people heard it live and want it.” Plus it is not on the debut album Pablo Honey, which has been steadily troubling the charts.
“We have a hell of a lot written for the second album, but it is not going to be another tirade about my fears of manic depression or superiority complexes,” promises the surprisingly shy singer.
Radiohead return to Sheffield University’s Park tomorrow in their van – as opposed to the chauffeur-driven limo supplied in the US."

"The fact is that tonight we have five young men playing angry, loud pop songs with melodies and hook lines you could frame."

"At this juncture in time, with the chart rapidly resembling a pallid banker’s convention, pop if not categorically dead, does appear to be wheezing its last insipid breath. Radiohead and fellow travellers like them are currently inducing its glorious resurrection.
Lend your support to the cause."

"Yet there has been virtually no hype, despite being signed to Parlophone, home to Morrissey, EMF and The Beatles among others. “We always wanted to do things slowly,” says Colin. “We believe enough in the songs to want people just to catch on to us, for them to hear it for themselves by our playing a lot live, to build up a good following.” "

RADIOHEAD: THEIR FIRST INTERVIEW

In 1993, the ennui of the slacker generation was defined in the year's most nerve- tingling single. The self-deprecating pathos and too loud guitars of 'Creep' gave Radiohead a firm foothold in stardom worldwide, but their story began years before as an unknown Oxford five-piece called On A Friday.

This interview appeared in Oxford's Curfew in December 1991, written by the magazine's erstwhile editor Ronan. In 1992, the band were signed to Parlophone and - as Radiohead - released their classic debut album Pablo Honey, Featuring “Creep', ‘Anyone anyone can play Guitar’ and ‘Stop Whispering” Earlier in 1995 they returned with The Bends, a more polished and pensive album setting them well on the road to stadium rock status. The tiny venues they argued about so vehemently in 1991 - Oxford's Venue and Jericho Tavern - are now long gone and sadly, Curfew is gone, too. But with their second album the five Oxford public school boys - Thom Yorke, Ed O'Brien, Colin Greenwood, Jon Green-wood and Phil Selway - have only scratched the surface. Their latest single, ‘Just' fills a gap while they tour the world with REM before returning to the UK to play Cambridge Corn Exchange on November 6th.

At the end of October [1991], Oxford’s thinnest band (The Wild Poppies split up ages ago), On A Friday, played the Jericho Tavern to a good sized crowd and there was a man from EMI there.

A mere two weeks later they are playing the tavern again and the place is heaving. There are 25 record company A&R men there and, what’s more, they have all paid to get in. To put it bluntly, On A Friday are happening

It’s a good job, then, that we’ve chosen this month to put them on the front cover. If we’d waited any longer, they’d be splashed all over the nationals and we’d be left with egg all over our faces.

The first time I saw On A Friday I was so drunk I couldn’t remember a sin le thing about them. The second time I saw time I thought they were really rather good, if a little weird. Ironically, I finally realised what a great pop group they were at a pathetically attended gig at the Poly, with crap sound and a ludicrously curtailed set.

While on A Friday’s music is lively, catchy and intense and easily good enough to stand up on its own, what makes them just that much better is singer Tom’s [sic] voice. He is possessed of that rare and special thing: a naturally musical singing voice. How many bands have you seen ruined by a bad or boring singer? I lost count many years ago. Tom doesn’t just deliver his lyrics; he uses his voice to interact with the other instruments, almost as if it were one itself. This often makes the words hard to comprehend. What are the songs about?

Tom: “Erm well, ‘Nothing Touches Me’ is based on an artist who was imprisoned for abusing children and spent the rest of his life in a cell painting, but the song is about isolating yourself so much that one day you realise you haven’t got any friends anymore and no one talks to you.”

Sounds pretty miserable - but your music is quite happy, isn’t it?

“Yeah, I’m just aggressive and sick.”

Twenty minutes later, Tom reveals that he doesn’t really know what the songs are about.

On a Friday, far from being a singer and his backing band are a collective of five individuals, each with a strong input into the band’s music. All stamp their individual influences and tastes on the music and this means that the end product doesn’t really sound like anyone else. Tom, Phil (drums), Colin (bass), Ed (guitar) and John [sic] (guitar and organ) find common ground in bands like the Buzzcocks, REM, the Fall and (ahem) Peter, Paul & Mary (this could be a wind-up) but beyond this they go for anything from Curve to Bootsy Collins to techno. They also seem to argue lots. They’ve just been into Courtyard Studios with Chris Hufford, producer of Slowdive’s album.

Colin: “He heard about us through a mutual friend and came to see us at the Jericho. Afterwards he was almost shaking. He said we were the best group he’d seen in three years and invited us to record with him at the Courtyard. We see it as an investment."

And the investment seems to be about to pay off sooner than they expected. The five songs they recorded show a massive leap in depth an professionalism from their last demo, impressive though it was. The new tape should be available from Manic Hedgehog by the time you read this and it’s well worth forking out £3 for. In short it’s a stormer.

All five members of the band are Oxford born and bred and all have returned to their home town after time away at college. How much influence has Oxford had on their songs?

Tom: “Loads. ‘Jerusalem’ is all about Oxford. So is ‘Everybody Lies through Their Teeth’. It’s such a weird place and it’s very important to my writing.”

It’s the subject of Oxford - in particular music in Oxford - which provokes the arguments. Wildly differing views are thrown out as to why Oxford has, or hasn’t, got a decent music scene...

“...If the Tavern closed there wouldn’t be any scene at all.”

“No? What about the Dolly and the Venue?“

“And the Old Fire Station? I know it’s crap, but there are a lot of towns the size of Oxford haven’t got a venue like that. Oxford has got a lot more soul than, say, Cambridge, but it comes I from places like Cowley rather than the j university. Students come here for three years and leave without contributing anything.”

“l don’t think it’s all the students’ fault. It’s the people who rim the university who are the problem. They control everything in Oxford from their corridors of power. They have a say in all the licensing of clubs. That’s why we get terrible places like the Park End Club. Oxford is crying out for a couple of decent nightclubs. And it’s the Dons who say that bands can’t play in the colleges, not the students...”

The argument continues with no real agreement or fixed conclusions. Everyone agrees that things could be better but they could be a lot worse. “There are a hell of a lot of bands in Oxford for its size and the Dolly and the Venue and especially the Tavern are good venues. The Old Fire Station looks like it was designed by the people who build Little Chefs. The stage is almost an afterthought, you feel like you’re playing on a salad bar.”

On A Friday also say some very complementary things about Curfew, which makes me feel like my life isn’t totally wasted. And indeed, if this humble and overworked editor’s gushing opinions can help On A Friday towards the megasuccess they are due for then Curfew will have achieved at least one useful thing in its time. And successful On A Friday will be. No ifs and buts with this lot. This time next year they will have outgrown all the venues they talk about and for once I think I may just have got it right. Are they ready to be stars?

Tom: “People sometimes say we take things too serious y, but it’s the only way you'll get anywhere. We’re not going to sit around and wait and just be happy if something turns up. We are ambitious. You have to be."

Reprinted from 'E.P. Magazine - Late Summer Extra 1995' With Kind Permission.
Many thanks to Ronan from Curfew magazine for permission to reprint this historic interview.