Radiohead knows how to please a woman

I read some interesting bits about how Radiohead cooks up its live setlists in an interview with guitarist Ed O'Brien mentioned today on ateaseweb.com: “We usually play two nights in a venue so we can actually play different sets each night. So, that’s cool. Phil, Thom and I do the setlists. Before a big gig the setlist meeting can go on for about three hours. It can start like this: Thom would say ‘we’re not going to play anything of OK Computer. We’re gonna play all the hard stuff’. And you go ‘OK, Alright’ and then you have arguements like ‘Don’t be stupid. Of course you have to play Paranoid Android. Don’t be rediculous. 20,000 people. These poor people came all this way and then play some obscure songs from a b-side.’ There is actually an answer. You want people to listen and you want to push them a bit. And you want to reward them for listening. So, it’s about dropping the songs at the right time. And also, it’s about a flow. Those gigs, when there’s ‘the band and the audience’… you know those when the top of your head comes off. It’s almost religious. You’re trying to work towards that as well.” I attended one of those "religious" types of gigs O'Brien refers to on June 24, 2006 at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley. Most magical setlist ever. Somehow the song choices of the previous night's show didn't add up to the same revelatory experience. Fingers crossed that they'll spoil me with two dates in the Bay Area on their May U.S. tour. Dates with Radiohead, ooh.