Radiohead Triumph in Berlin: A Cross‑Generational Celebration Without a Single New Song.
Radiohead may not be touring with new material, but in Berlin’s Uber Arena they proved they don’t need it. What stood out most during their latest stop was not the absence of fresh tracks, but the astonishingly diverse crowd — parents and teenagers wearing the same tour shirts, singing the same lyrics, and sharing the same awe. With Let Down unexpectedly entering the Billboard Hot 100 nearly three decades after its release, the band’s reach has never felt broader.
For long‑time fans, the night was a journey through memory. But this wasn’t a simple nostalgia show. Drawing from a shortlist of roughly 65 songs, Radiohead crafted a set that constantly shifted eras and moods. Tracks from In Rainbows — “Reckoner” and “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi” — intertwined seamlessly with early classics like “Fake Plastic Trees,” “Street Spirit (Fade Out),” and the explosive “Just.”
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The crowd erupted for OK Computer staples “Airbag” and “Exit Music (For a Film),” while the sprawling, multi‑part “Paranoid Android” once again served as a defining moment — a reminder of how many identities this band has embodied over the years.
ven 25 years after its release, Kid A remains startlingly modern. “Idioteque,” with its jittering beat and eerily relevant lyrics, felt as urgent as ever. Meanwhile, “Ful Stop” and “Present Tense” from A Moon Shaped Pool — now already a decade old — were the “newest” songs in the set, underscoring just how timeless Radiohead’s catalog has become.
The band performed inside a cylindrical cage‑like stage set in the round, a setup that initially worried some fans who feared they’d spend the night staring at the backs of their heroes. Those concerns vanished quickly. Thom Yorke, all nervous energy and elastic movement, rotated between two microphones and a keyboard, ensuring every corner of the arena had its moment.
Jonny and Colin Greenwood, along with Ed O’Brien, shifted positions throughout the show, while drummer Philip Selway anchored the performance with precision. Multi‑instrumentalist Chris Vatalaro added layers of texture, giving the stage the intimate feel of a high‑stakes rehearsal — reminiscent of their iconic From the Basement session from 2008
This Berlin concert was meant to conclude Radiohead’s series of four‑night residencies across five European countries. But after Thom Yorke developed a throat infection, two Copenhagen shows were postponed. In Berlin, however, there was little sign of strain. Aside from a brief restart of “No Surprises,” Yorke delivered a commanding performance.
The band closed the night with a soaring rendition of “Karma Police,” sung in unison by thousands. As expected, “Creep” was nowhere to be found — a song Radiohead have long preferred to leave to the street musicians outside the venue. Fittingly, one such busker, wearing mittens and a Santa cape, was already performing it on the pavement as fans streamed out.
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