September 4, 2000 13:05

GOOD 'HEAD MUSIC! Radiohead Tickets

The band's first show on their UK tour gets an enthusiastic thumbs up...

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Radiohead fans have given an enthusiastic thumbs up to the band's NEWPORT show on Friday (September 1), the opening night of their first major UK tour in almost three years.

nme.com reviewed the gig minutes after the band had come offstage, and asked any nme.com readers who were also there to tell us what they thought - and you replied in droves.

"They were fucking amazing," said Nick Hooper simply, reflecting the views of many of the 10,000 fans who packed into the purpose built tent in the grounds of Newport Tredegar Hall in Wales.

"Radiohead were bloody brilliant, wow," added Alan Jones while Dylan Kelly felt they were "awesome". Genevieve Allen went a step further claiming Radiohead to "quite simply the best act in the world today", a view taken a step further by Chris Starr who felt "they are truly the best band ever to have walked this fine earth".

But although most of the other messages emailed to nme.com were positive about the band as a whole and also about the new, even more experimental direction they are following with forthcoming album 'Kid A', some fans were less than happy with some aspects.

"Thom Yorke may as well have played by a satellite link up from Mars - because you couldn't see the band," moaned a fan identified only as rock_star. He added, "the first hour was shit."

However it was Clark Davies who summed up the general consensus of fans with his summation of the show.

"Looped beats, a double bass, some striking visuals, a beat box, a transistor radio, and some wicked cut-up vocals courtesy of Jonny Greenwood help lay the floorplan for the new material - this is definitely a step in the right direction."

Meanwhile, a chart to be published this week (September 7) positions Radiohead as the current second favourite band of all time. Two of their albums occupy places in the Top Five of the Virgin All Time Top 1000. The Beatles fill the other three spots.

Last published in 1998, the chart is based on 200,000 votes cast by musicians, industry professionals and fans and also takes into account the results of other published polls.

The Beatles 'Revolver' retains the top spot, while Radiohead's 'The Bends' leaps from 10 to number 2 while 'OK Computer' leaps from 21 to number 4. 'Sgt Pepper's... and 'The White Album' clock in at positions 3 and 5.

To discuss Radiohead click here.