Who better than music gods Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood to take on gloomy weather gods? At least a grin was enough for Yorke to take the meadow on a whimsical trip.
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As key figures at Radiohead, Yorke and Greenwood have already provided unforgettable moments at Rock Werchter on several occasions. In any case, the two carry enough legacy to attract a lot of curious people to new band The Smile, in which they are assisted by Sons Of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner.
Fluttering bow
In this line-up, Yorke and Greenwood constantly alternate on guitar and bass, and it was as strange as it was amusing to watch Yorke indulge himself on his bass guitar. The Smile is dance music for introverts full of landmarks for those familiar with Radiohead’s discography. The ‘Free in the knowledge’, performed on acoustic guitar, catapulted you back to Radiohead’s greatest sing-along moments, while ‘A hairdryer’ could have easily been on Hail to the thief. Including the typical traits of Yorke and Greenwood tearing a bow on his guitar.
– Photo: Koen Bauters
In between showers, The Smile sometimes lost its grip on the crowd, though Yorke did his very best to keep their attention. During the intro of ‘We don’t know what tomorrow brings’ he jumped behind his synthesizer, in ‘Skirting on the surface’ he actually put his hands in the air. There was even a smile. The highlight of this show came just after that in the form of the groovy ‘The smoke’ and a raw ‘You will never work in television’. The image of a dancing Yorke as his companion leaned over on his bass guitar is already memorable.
Stubbornly
‘Beautiful in its genre’, Stijn Van De Voorde once summed it up in a performance, and that statement certainly applied to The Smile. Angular and elusive as it is called according to the clichés, but above all a clever statement by two living legends who stubbornly stayed away from audience spawning and greatest hits at TW Classic, and were supported in this by an audience that just as stubbornly refused to seek out drier places.
The Smile, seen at TW Classic on June 25, 2022
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