Jon Dennis of Blab Happy remembers touring with Radiohead in 1993

Jon Dennis, once the singer of Blab Happy, has written in The Guardian's Friday Review about his band's four nights supporting Radiohead in February 1993, from the Wheatsheaf in Stoke-on-Trent to Nottingham Trent University. Radiohead were promoting Pablo Honey round pubs and student bars; “Creep” had sold fewer than 6,000 copies. Blab Happy got on the tour through their former drummer Steve, by then a university entertainments manager, who heard that Radiohead needed a support act.

At the first soundcheck, in Stoke, Dennis was struck by Thom Yorke's voice and the way he held a note. It reminded him then of David Bowie. At Sheffield Hallam University, with the sound man gone to eat, the band stayed on stage and played Glen Campbell's “Rhinestone Cowboy” to an empty student bar and Dennis on a barstool.

He was most impressed by Jonny Greenwood. The sudden guitar chop in the quiet part of “Creep” blew him away, and Jonny had lovely guitars he believes were custom-made.

Jonny was weird-looking - I felt a bit nervous approaching him. He was young, but I was quite in awe of him.

Jon Dennis¹

Phil Selway lent his kit to Blab Happy's drummer, Jez, to save room on the small stages, and Dennis got on best with Colin Greenwood, who gave him his address; Dennis wrote after the tour and never heard back. Thom was quiet and distant, but told Dennis he liked his song “Tender Hooks” and asked for a copy.

The two bands shared a love of the Pixies, Dinosaur Jr and Sonic Youth, and between soundchecks Radiohead played a tape of favourites, which is how Dennis first heard Harry Nilsson's “Everybody's Talkin'”.

The strongest thing I ever saw any of them touch was lager, and they always tidied the dressing room before they left.

Jon Dennis¹

Once they found the band in a motorway service station, each at a separate table reading a Penguin Classic, just as a crowd of Leicester City fans arrived fresh from a 7-1 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday.