Radiohead singer Thom Yorke has opened his ‘Atoms For Peace’ tour with two shows in New York.
One of the most respected songwriters of his generation, Thom Yorke is set to go solo once again. Recently revisiting material from his solo effort ‘The Eraser’ the singer announced plans for an unusual tour.
Booking Flying Lotus as tour support, Thom Yorke assembled an all star band including Red Hot Chili Peppers star Flea on bass. Titled ‘Atoms For Peace’ the new tour features a mixture of Radiohead and solo material.
Opening in New York’s Roseland Ballroom on Tuesday (April 5th) the band played two nights at the venue. Rushing through some classic material, Thom Yorke also slipped in a few new tracks during a solo slot.
Performing with just a guitar, Thom Yorke played ‘A Walk Down The Staircase’ for the very first time. Explaining to the crowd that the track was a work in progress, the singer joked that he wasn’t even sure what the words were.
Playing a number of much loved Radiohead classics, the audience at the Roseland Ballroom included some stellar names. REM singer Michael Stipe was spotted in the crowd, while David Byrne, Antony Hegarty and members of The Strokes all took in the show.
Returning to the New York venue again last night (April 6th) the band played a different set, demonstrating their flexibility after only a few shows together.
Speaking to the NME, bass player Flea admitted that he was not happy with his performance. “I made so many mistakes tonight,” he said. “It’ll be better tomorrow night. It was the same when we played those shows in LA”.
“The first show was full of mistakes but it got better for the second and third. It’s OK though because Thom is such a natural musician. Everything he does sounds beautiful.”
The ‘Atoms Of Peace’ tour is set to continue across the United States.
