Radiohead play “Idioteque” on Saturday Night Live

Radiohead played “The National Anthem” and “Idioteque” on Saturday Night Live on 14 October, and on “Idioteque” only Phil Selway was at his usual instrument. Colin Greenwood had swapped his bass for a small keyboard, Jonny Greenwood worked a huge console of keys and wires, and Ed O'Brien spent more of the song shaking a maraca-like instrument than playing guitar, while Thom Yorke jerked and shook as he sang. NME take it as a measure of how far the band's live sound has moved since the OK Computer tour of 1997 and 1998.

“The National Anthem” came with a full horn section, as it has at the band's recent shows. Many viewers had expected “Optimistic”, which has been getting heavy airplay on American radio.

Ralph Nader, the Green Party's presidential candidate, has been kept out of the televised debates. When the band joined the cast and crew on stage at the end of the show, Yorke briefly held up a sign reading “Let Ralph Debate”, then tossed it away.