Ecowatch: Radiohead @ Reading

I stayed up too late watching the Arctic Monkeys the night before and then decided it would be a good idea to stay up late again watching a set from a band I never really cared for that much (okay, Just is a good song - I like that one when it isn't being ruined with Mark Ronson and his all-too-eager brass section). I am talking about Radiohead - their music washes over me very easily. Although I can see why people love them so much.

This is beside the point of this post though. At some point during the set, I think it must have been during "Karma Police", I realised that for all his ravings about being eco-friendly, Thom Yorke doesn't have the most eco-friendly stage set-up. The picture above doesn't do justice to what the stage was really like - they did have video screens but I was more concerned about the programmable crystal lights and spotlights that were turned on throughout the whole thing.

However, they could be environmentally friendly lights. On the other hand, to power these things on solar energy alone would be a hassle in this lovely British weather. And I don't see them playing wind-up guitars. I doubt anyone would want to look that silly. Since Thom has an aversion to touring, perhaps he can afford to have a blow-out show every now and then.

I just thought I'd bring this up since it seemed rather odd and contradictory at the time - now I think that it was a good show, despite this moral/ecological problem.

Mercury Month: Radiohead

Who: Oxford five-piece Radiohead have been going for years, and frontman Thom Yorke has been nominated 6 times for the prize (including his solo album "The Eraser" and his collaborations with PJ Harvey on her winning 2001 album "Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea")

What: Their new, somewhat controversial album "In Rainbows" (people could pay what they wanted for the album, which is okay because why do a massive band like this need the money anyway) which has been hailed as a masterpiece.

Why: I'm definitely not a fan. I know there's a lot of people out there who are absolutely CRAZY about Radiohead but I agree with the frontman from the Hold Steady who says they've lost the plot. If I was ever going to get in to Radiohead it was going to be around the time when they were more rock, since the only song I actually think is any good by them is "Just" (thanks to Mark Ronson who has slaughtered the angst and replaced it with posh-boy brass sections on his cover version. Write your own songs and wreck 'em!). So really they've gone all thoughtful and "weird" on "In Rainbows" and everyone's gone ape over it. I've found listening to the singles very hard going indeed, especially "Nude" which lumbers along like a snail going against a headwind. Not to mention depressing as hell. God, am I the only person in the world who just detests them? I'm sure they've nice enough blokes but they need to lighten up. Nevertheless they're joint favourites to win. "No Surprises" there (oh lord that was an awful joke).

Glastonbury: Who Should've Been There

This is not a wishlist for who I'd like to see at Glastonbury next year but more of a small list of people who could've replaced, say, Jay-Z (you can tell I'm pretty steamed up about that!). So, you could have had:

• Coldplay
• Radiohead
• REM
• The Police

etc? Surely these could have been better headliners. Maybe they're on the list for next year. However, if you believe Michael Eavis then five acts have already been lined up. Apparently one of them came off the back of Jay-Z's performance, so can we expect 50 Cent next year? I sincerely hope not! Other people I would've liked to caught this year include:

• Santogold
• M.I.A (although I'm not sure if she actually turned up or not)
• We Are Scientists (I'm interested now - what I saw of them was pretty good really)
• Neon Neon
• Hercules and Love Affair
• The Gossip
• Goldfrapp
• Ida Maria

Curse my lack of red button action! Although I just caught some more Kings of Leon while eating my dinner...