Back to the Radiohead ‘box set’: you recently put disc five in the DVD player and reunited with the band for some rehearsals?
“We got together in the summer just for a couple of days and just ran through all the songs and picked up where we left off in 2018. It was really fun and nice to see everyone. We were going to do three or four days but knocked it on the head after two because it was fine and we could still do it. My brother said that we’d just need a couple of weeks’ rehearsal and we could go on the road, no problem.
“Beyond that, everyone’s heads are focussed on finishing up what they’ve been doing. My brother has been unwell and is still recovering. Rehearsals were really fun and amicable, though. We rehearsed in this studio called The Church where we ended up finishing up ‘OK Computer’, so the last time I was there was 1996 recording the bass for ‘Airbag’. There we were, back in Crouch End. It was great, but beyond that get together, I’m sure we’ll get together and make plans – but for what, I don’t know.”
RADIOHEAD - THOM JONNY ED - CREDIT COLIN GREENWOOD 2007
Radiohead in new book ‘How To Disappear’. Credit: Colin Greenwood
This doesn’t mean a Radiohead tour is imminent then?
“No, it doesn’t mean a tour is imminent!”
One imagines it takes a lot of effort to get the Radiohead machine up and running for something like that.
“Oh my god, tell me about it! It’s like an army. I don’t know how people are out on the Bad Seeds tour right now, but it’s loads. They’re playing all these huge arenas, but I love it because you get used to it and it becomes your home from home. The stage becomes your home, so when you walk out there if feels like your safe space.”
What kind of conversations do Radiohead have about finding a reason and time to return?
“I don’t know, because I haven’t had it! But I was talking to Nick [Cave] about this too. He’s just such an amazing listener, and he was saying that Radiohead would be in a position to go and do whatever we wanted in terms of when we play, what we play and how we play.
“He was talking about Bob Dylan, who can just be on the road for two years or not at all and play all the hits or something different each night. You can put out a new album or you can do crazy projects. There’s a freedom that we have that we should appreciate. It’s not like we’ve reached a point where people are only interested in listening to something from the first three albums.
“I think we’re still a band where people might want to know what might happen next. We’re very lucky to have that.”