Thom Yorke's Solo Show

Toddled to Star Theatre to have a listen to Thom Yorke’s solo act. I was glad that the friends picked seats at the back. I don’t want to be at the front where the musicians could see me use the phone and such. I have no wish to be scolded in public for doing a rather normal thing. He also had his recent Melbourne set interrupted.

This tour is billed as ‘Thom Yorke: Everything’. It was really quite like that. Our friends in Australia told us it was pretty good, although we really missed Radiohead as a band. Ahhh… we all last got together in Sydney 20 years ago for that awesome Radiohead gig. We are fans of Radiohead but not too keen on Thom Yorke per se. But hey, we’re all in town. Might as well catch a show. Tbh, I’m not too keen on his solo albums. They’re too electronic for me. The show’s strobe lights were rather annoying and for four songs, I kept my eyes shut and head down. 

The night started with his own ‘The Eraser’ (2006). He debuted his new song 'Back in the Game' in Christchurch NZ, and included it tonight too. The geometric graphics as a backdrop are brilliant and seizure-inducing. I found myself looking away very frequently. The talented multi-instrumentalist moved effortlessly between an electric guitar, an acoustic, the keyboards and the rig to create familiar sounds, synth pop and some dance club beats. 

I really liked this acoustic version of ‘Fake Plastic Trees’ (Radiohead ‘The Bends’ 1995). Admiring his voice is one thing. Liking his solo stuff is another. I very much prefer his voice against the backdrop of a full band. (Full Singapore setlist here.)

When the opening chords of ‘Everything In Its Right Place’ (Radiohead ‘Kid A’ 2000) began, everyone stood up. It was the final song of the show. No point sitting down. The night ended with an expected encore and three songs — ‘All I Need’ (Radiohead ‘In Rainbows’ 2007), ‘Cymbal Rush’ (solo, ‘The Eraser’ 2006), and ‘How to Disappear Completely’ (Radiohead ‘Kid A’ 2000). Thom Yorke played a two-hour show, giving the audience all their money's worth. Hehhhh.