Low say Radiohead proved success need not turn a band into jerks

Alan Sparhawk and Zak Sally of Low have told the Dutch station VPRO's 3voor12 that watching Radiohead every night, as their support act, gave them hope that a band can be successful without turning into jerks. 3voor12's write-up of the interview, for Dubbel Check, went up on Monday 14 February. Low are promoting The Great Destroyer, their seventh album and their first for Sub Pop after years on Kranky, and play the Paradiso in Amsterdam on 22 February.

Radiohead chose Low to open seven shows in July 2003, in Bergamo, Florence, Ferrara, Nîmes and Madrid, the run Sparhawk kept a diary of. That October Low also stood in for Supergrass at both of Radiohead's Madison Square Garden nights.

Every night, Sparhawk and Sally say, showed them that challenging music, made the band's own way, can still be played to a huge audience without it feeling like a sales pitch, and that a crowd that size can gather to hear an artist say something that matters. Some take it seriously and the rest come for a good time, and Low think that is fine too. When the Village Voice asked Sparhawk last month what touring with Radiohead was like, he said it had been great to watch a band that talented and passionate get on stage and enjoy a rock show for what it was. They taught me to not take myself so seriously. Despite how heavy you think your “art” is, it's just music.²

Low do not expect to get big themselves. Would I turn into a complete jerk if we became successful? Is success evil? To see them play and see them successful and still doing something positive. I think, there's hope.¹