Thom Yorke plays a new song alone as Atoms for Peace open in New York

Thom Yorke came back alone with a guitar for the first encore at the Roseland Ballroom in New York on Monday, opening Atoms for Peace's first tour, and played a new song. It was still a work in progress, he told the crowd, and he joked that he had not learned all the words yet.

The setlist the band's people handed out called it “A Walk Down The Staircase”, the title NME and Uncut print. Yorke's own sheet said “Chris Hodge”, and some concert-goers heard Nigel Godrich, Radiohead's producer, call it that too. Fans were calling it “Let Me Take Control”.

Before that the band had played The Eraser, Yorke's 2006 solo album, in full and in its running order. After the new song he stayed alone for “The Daily Mail”, then played “Everything In Its Right Place” on piano, and that got the loudest cheer of the night. The band came back for a second encore that opened with “Paperbag Writer”, a B-side of Radiohead's “There There”, and closed with both sides of Yorke's 2009 single. NME spotted Michael Stipe, David Byrne, Antony Hegarty and Nick Valensi of The Strokes in the crowd.

Tonight's show started about half an hour late. Just after 4pm an underground electrical fire set off explosions under Broadway at 52nd Street, around the corner from Roseland; the buildings on the block were evacuated and Broadway was shut from 51st to 53rd Street. The band played The Eraser in full again, kept Monday's encores and added two songs after “The Daily Mail”: “All For The Best”, the Mark Mulcahy song Yorke recorded for the 2009 tribute album Ciao My Shining Star, and “Fog”, a B-side of Radiohead's “Knives Out”.

Godrich plays keyboards and guitar in the band, with Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers on bass, Joey Waronker on drums and Mauro Refosco on percussion. SPIN notes that Waronker has drummed for Beck and R.E.M. and that Refosco plays in Forro in the Dark. Until Monday they had played three shows, all in Los Angeles last October: a warm-up at the Echoplex and two at the Orpheum Theatre. The tour announced in February goes on to Boston, Chicago, Oakland and Santa Barbara, and ends at Coachella on 18 April.

Flea was not happy with his own playing on Monday, and told NME the Los Angeles run had gone the same way, the first show full of mistakes and the next two better. I made so many mistakes tonight. It'll be better tomorrow night.¹

Setlist, night one (Monday 5 April)