FROM PULA WITH LOVE
“This was the concert full of people who know absolutely everything about this band”, said a younger man exiting The Smile’s concert while another commented it was “too much snobbery” for his taste. It is safe to say both of them are right. To a person who is not familiar with the band’s modus operandi, it is not complete nonsense that their concert looks like a competition in long improvisations on stage overstuffed with all kinds of different instruments including even harp.
Jonny Greenwood. Personal album.
The Smile’s concert in Pula last Saturday was relocated from Arena to Malo rimsko kazalište because of not expected demand for tickets. A new location is freshly reconstructed open concert space which was built around the first century by Romans. Comparing it to Arena, it is around three times smaller. Malo rimsko kazalište fitted around 2 500 people which is one of the most intimate concerts that Greenwood and Yorke played since the beginning of Radiohead in the 90s. Fast forward 30 years, it is a real privilege to see both of them in such a small-scale setting. They were probably a bit insecure about Pula’s concert due to relocation but one thing is sure – it felt like every single person knew every single song in both The Smile and Radiohead catalogue. This is not the first The Smile concert in Croatia. Two years ago, they started their first tour in Croatia’s capital Zagreb which is remembered as an extremely sweaty and stuffy concert even though the band played wonderfully.
Thom Yorke. Personal album.
There was not one song on the setlist which was not welcomed with loud clapping and screaming. Because of this, Yorke, Greenwood and Skinner were in a great mood, especially Yorke. He is known for his all-over-the-place dancing on the stage, but this time he was enjoying himself even more. Multiple times during the concert, he and Skinner had an eye contact while genuinely smiling. Even ever timid-looking Greenwood seemed completely relaxed. The setlist was a mix of the first album “A Light for Attracting Attention” and the latest “Wall of Eyes” which came out in January this year. The Smile also played unreleased songs like “Zero Sum” and “Colours Fly” but an obvious favourite was beat-driven “Don’t Get Me Started”. The crowd was so excited that Yorke jokingly tried to calm it down. Moreover, he was communicating with the crowd the whole night and did not keep his eyes closed all the time as he usually does. “Thin Thing” is another adored one and this time they played it without falling apart which happened back then in Zagreb. One of the highlights of the show was an eternal sounding “Bending Hectic” which translates live equally extraordinary as a studio version with a string orchestra. Exactly this ability of the band leaves you speechless and that is what sets them apart. They treat a song as a Rubik’s cube to solve.
The Smile. Personal album.
Besides a great set of songs and energy, it is impossible not to notice how many instruments they go through. Greenwood goes from electric guitar, bass, bass with bow, cello, harp, drum machine to piano. It is a real surprise that he still has not included his beloved Ondes Martenot in any song which is used in Radiohead songs like “How to Disappear Completely”, “The National Anthem”, “Bodysnatchers”. Yorke also changed multiple instruments such as bass, acoustic and electric guitar, piano. Also, Skinner’s ability to elevate every song to an even higher level with his feeling for flow should not be overlooked. It was clear from the very beginning that he immediately matched with Yorke and Greenwood’s musical language but now it is crystal clear. Britain-based musician Robert Stillman joined this trio on stage for a few songs after he was a supporting act on their first tour.
Thom Yorke (left) and Jonny Greenwood (right). Personal album.
Radiohead fans are known to be highly devoted so many came from Italy and even Belgium. Just before the show, I was chatting with two men who came from Brussels to Pula just to see The Smile. Almost all the people around me spoke Italian probably because it was more affordable and close for them to come to Pula than Rome in June where they have two concerts in a row. One man was wearing a t-shirt from the “Hail to the Thief” tour, a middle-aged woman had “The King of Limbs” one and so was her son and other women also had t-shirts with motifs from the same record. It was a pure joy to witness a great mixture of Radiohead’s generation people and Gen Z who were dancing and singing with the same passion throughout the whole concert. If there are any cynics and sceptics let me prove you wrong by saying that Gen Z was not holding their phones up all the time – quite the opposite. Another pure joy was to witness three people who still haven’t lost curiosity and childlike enthusiasm after decades in music.
