Radiohead pick two Oxford bands from demo tapes for South Park

Radiohead have confirmed the full support bill for their show at South Park in Oxford on 7 July: Beck, Sigur Rós, Supergrass, Humphrey Lyttelton and two Oxford bands, The Rock Of Travolta and Hester Thrale. Beck has been booked since March, when the band asked him themselves.

Phill Honey of The Rock Of Travolta told NME that the two slots were Radiohead's way of putting something back into the Oxford music scene. The promoters were asked to collect demos so Radiohead could personally listen to them.¹ As far as his band know, the promoters drew up the shortlist and Radiohead made the final choice.

They fancied their chances because Phil Selway had been to one of their gigs, and then word reached them that Ed O'Brien really liked their mini-album. Their cellist had already been to the band's aftershow in Doncaster on the last tour, where, Honey says, only two bottles of wine were drunk all night, both of them by her.

Honey has seen Radiohead five or six times and expects South Park to be a small festival without the camping. People say 'Don't you just go home depressed?' but you don't. How can you when you've just witnessed the best band in the world?¹