Radiohead open their North American tour in an Edmonton lounge

Radiohead opened their North American tour at the Dinwoodie Lounge, at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, on Wednesday 20 March, with a set drawn mostly from The Bends. See Magazine's review has “Creep” turning up mid-set with no special fuss, and “Fake Plastic Trees” as the song its writer was still humming afterwards. Thom Yorke gave fair warning before “Bullet Proof... I Wish I Was”.

If you thought the last one was slow, wait till you hear this one. But fuck it, we don't care

Thom Yorke³

David Gray, who had come over from England with the band, opened with melodic, folk-based songs. A photo caption says the fans thought the gig was over too quickly.

The reason for starting in Edmonton was in See's preview of 14 March. Speaking by phone from a studio in Oxford, Jonny Greenwood told April Bart that the band usually reach Canada worn out at the end of a tour, that it is a favourite place, and that this time they decided to begin there. Last time they came over on R.E.M.'s arena tour; without a hit the size of “Creep”, they are now choosing smaller rooms. Greenwood also said the British press pushes bands to succeed in America and then treats success there as proof of stupidity.

In Vue Weekly the same week, Ken Ilcisin heard from a Greenwood, never named in full, that the band had been under heavy pressure to write another “Creep” and set out instead to make a strong album without obvious hit singles. Vue puts the recording of The Bends at two and a half months, longer than the band wanted. Pablo Honey took two and a half weeks.