Since announcing on April 8th that they would upload classic live concerts to YouTube on a weekly basis, Radiohead are set to stream their 2006 performance at Bonnaroo Festival tonight. Promoting the upcoming release, lead guitarist Jonny Greenwood took to Instagram and Twitter to announce “we’ve tracked down the original desk audio,” promising a special return of a show that Greenwood considers “the best festival experience I’ve ever had in America.”
Set to drop on YouTube tonight (May 7th) at 10 pm UK time, the festival recording comes from June 2006, a performance filmed in Tennessee upon which Greenwood reflects fondly: “I hope the heat, dust, and smell of fine Southern whiskey comes over as well as the songs – and I hope that we get back to live music soon.”
Thanks for watching last week’s Coachella concert. This week, something new: we’ve tracked down the original desk audio for our Bonnaroo show. Filmed in 2006 in Tennessee it’s easily, comfortably, the best festival experience I’ve ever had in America. https://t.co/dJnkfFE4J8 pic.twitter.com/NIYxUjGNik
— Jonny Greenwood (@JnnyG) May 6, 2020
Anticipation is already building, with many expectant fans taking to the video’s chat stream to share their enthusiasm: “Can’t wait for this!!!!!” one user says, while another proposes, “I’ll consider this stream as an in memoriam for Florian Schneider,” referring to the recent passing of the German musician and Kraftwerk founder, who has died aged 73.
Following last week’s stream of their 2012 Coachella headline act, the full set set list for tonight’s concert has been shared by NME, promising 18 songs as well as two separate encores, which themselves offer 10 additional songs – no matter what, tonight’s stream is set to be quite the performance, as well as a trip down memory lane.
The full recording of Radiohead’s Bonnaroo concert can be viewed here:
These online broadcasts have been the band’s gateway to their global audience of fans. Having declared in that original announcement post on April 8th “that you have no choice whether or not you fancy a quiet night in,” they may as well give the people what they want. There were reportedly plans for Radiohead to tour in 2021, but these have been considered unlikely due to repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This will be an added blow to fans, following drummer Philip Selway’s statement in February that the band would be spend 2020 apart to allow each member to focus on individual projects.
