Radiohead play In Rainbows in order at a free show moved to 93 Feet East

Radiohead played In Rainbows from start to finish tonight in east London, at a free show announced only this morning and moved next door, to 93 Feet East on Brick Lane, before it could happen. It was their first concert in front of an audience since the Heineken Music Hall in Amsterdam on 28 August 2006; in between, their only performances have been webcasts from their studio in Oxford.

This morning Jonny Greenwood posted on Dead Air Space, the band's blog, that they would play a short set of In Rainbows songs at the Rough Trade East record shop, free and first come, first served, with doors at 7pm. He recommended the local bagels and promised a webcast. For those who can't get in - and it's pretty small in there - we'll have some screens and speakers outside, if we're allowed. I think we are.⁵

The shop holds about 250, according to Glide Magazine, and people were queuing by about 10am, some of them since the early hours. In the afternoon the band's site said that on the advice of the police and the local council, for public safety and because of the size of the crowd, the show was moving to 93 Feet East. Only people already given wristbands would get in, doors went back to 9pm and there would be nothing outside, though the webcast on radiohead.tv went ahead.

The band went on at about 10.20pm, more than two hours late, in front of a few hundred people. Claire Roberts, a Drowned In Sound reader who got in, says the order of a queue held for more than five hours fell apart at the door, and that the frustration went with the first notes of “15 Step”. After “15 Step” Thom Yorke told the crowd, What a fucking day³, and before “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi” he confirmed the rumour that they were playing the album in order.

The band fluffed the start of “Reckoner”, which Yorke laughed off and blamed on a bass note; he said he was glad the gig was not in the shop after all, and thanked Rough Trade for putting up with it. Then he stumbled over the opening of “House of Cards” himself and began it again. Warts and all! Bum notes and all! That’s why it took so long to make the record³

Introducing “Jigsaw Falling Into Place”, out as a single since Monday, he said it had been a strange day and he might need a drink afterwards. I’m trying to cut down, but today seems a bad day to cut down.³

After “Videotape” Yorke came back alone with an acoustic guitar for “Up on the Ladder”, from the second disc of the In Rainbows discbox and not played live since 2002. The band rejoined him for four older songs. “My Iron Lung” drew one of the loudest cheers of the night, and “The Bends” closed the show.

Setlist