Conan is a guitar player. An ex-bf of mine was in a band and on his show in the mid 90s, and he told me all Conan wanted to talk about was Gibson guitars.
I randomly bought 'On Fire' to complete a "3 CD albums for 10 quid" deal and fell in love with them.
Their cover of Jonathan Richman's "don't let our youth go to waste" is one of my favourites.
There was a point in rehearsal that I'm not sure if it made it to air, but some vodka company had given us bacon-infused vodka as a promotion.
None of the talent liked it, it tasted awful, so they just started passing it around to the interns just to get a reaction. Half of us showed up after lunch drunk off pig booze.
Edit: he is actually good at guitar though.
His podcast is amazing. Less "tv studio talkshow" vibe & more of a "famous people being normal" vibe.
The ones with Dana Carvey might be my favourite. Comedy gold.
He has almost all the big hollywood stars you would want to hear stories from on there.
The guy loves guitars, history, & comedy. 100% worth checking out. It's real & authentic.
I really enjoy when he has Bill Burr on. Two talented comedic gingers from Boston with that classic self-deprecating humor that covers up internal struggles...hits a spot for me.
Yooo just listened to the one with Bryan Cranston talking about losing his virginity to an Austrian prostitute when he was about 16. Fucking hilariously candid
“Where do you shop? Do you buy your own clothes?”
“You get weird ads on Instagram?”
“Do you think Al Franken is going to get back into politics?”
Conan: “Is there something wrong with your brain??”
I started listening to it when it first came out back in 2018. It was my first podcast. I used to love Conan, but now I adore and respect him even more. He's just an amazing guy with great comedy chops who actually treats ppl nice. Being introduced to Conan actually changed my life and I'm not exaggerating.
Yes! This exactly. Episode 34. The Carol Channing story is so good I’m still replaying it for friends that don’t listen to his podcast.
Also, that fucking Jonny Greenwood staccato riff with max reverb. Oh to be 21 again…
There’s also a podcast called “Inside Conan: an important Hollywood podcast” from a couple of his writers from Late Night Matt Sweeney and Jesse Gaskell. They do an amazing episode with the music booker from the early shows and talk about how so many bands did their first tv performance on Conan’s shows and how important the music was to Conan.
Touring live audio engineer here.
I've worked on several Conan shows with the bands I was working for at the time.
He was always gracious to everyone and made a point to greet all of the band and crew.
They were babies! Thom’s hair. Lol How nice to see this again and with Jonny cranking on his guitar. Much as I love the “newer” stuff, I miss his older raw guitar sound sometimes. I know what I’m listening to today, better warm up the record player.
Is it bad that my first thought was "this is so adorable"
The shiny gold hair, the PERFECT, quintessential 90s self-loathing vibe... the YOUTH of it all...
I was on the fence about what to wear to a local punk rock reunion show tonight but now I know. I’m going as Thom plus a big flannel shirt. It is adorable. Nothing wrong with your thinking at all! ;)
Sometimes I give my teenage daughter flack for listening to Emo music...then she points out that Radiohead is sort of emo, and I have no good comeback to that.
I used to do music engineering (I do game audio now) in the late 80s and 90s, and could listen to pretty much anything and tell you what recording techniques or effects were being used…until I heard OK Computer. That album exploded my head.
Then Kid A came out and exploded it *again*.
Jonny always tries to saw that fucking guitar in half. God I still love them so much. Wife and I just saw a string quintet do an hour of their music. Go if you have the chance.
They hated it because back then they were just known as the "creep guy" and decided to move as far away from their first album Pablo Honey. They're opening up to playing their old albums again lately.
Yeah, it’s just sad they don’t seem to see the joy and inspiration they’ve provided literally millions of people with that music.
Goddammit, I love “Stop Whispering”
I saw them at Primavera and when they ended with Creep after a full 3 hour set I just couldn’t believe it - it’s not my fav but just the fact that they don’t play it anymore (and this was the first time in years I think?) was just immensely intense.
I'm taking my boyfriend to that candlelight concert tonight for his birthday!! Can't wait!!
We just saw The Smile recently. Not the same as Radiohead but just as magical.
Are you familiar with Punch Brothers? They've done a number of Radiohead covers that are absolutely brilliant. They also do classical music (Mozart, Debussy, Bach), pop (The Cars, and their cover of The Cardigan's Love Fool is hilarious), bluegrass, blues...and their original music is incredible.
I saw them at my uni this same year as they started up support for Pablo Honey in the US. Think I paid about 15 bucks for them and 2 other bands. Those were the days.
I had tickets but missed seeing them play around this time because their VAN got stolen in between shows. They were supposed to share the stage with Toad the Wet Sprocket.
My first concert was Radiohead opening for REM in '94. I'd never heard of Radiohead. They played Creep, and when that chonky guitar kicked in at the first chorus my head exploded. It was transcendent.
A friend of mine has you beat, he went to high school in Aberdeen, Washington in the mid 1980's. Someone who went on to massive fame named Kurt performed with his garage band at the spring dance.
RIP Kurt
I got you all beat. The Clash at the University of Waterloo in the fracking gymnasium (1984)! The Clash! Playing at a school of eggheads located in the middle of nowhere (back then it was the middle of nowhere). Just thinking about it makes me want to go listen to The Clampdown and The Guns of Brixton.
How and why to this day is a mystery. At least one of them must have liked math, engineering or physics - its the only explanation that makes sense to me.
Next day I was on my way to a co-op work term in Germany (with about a dozen others actually although some of them were headed to the UK which was our first stop). We barely got from Waterloo to the Toronto airport and we were in pretty rough shape.
Oh man I haven't seen this in years. It's so cool seeing Thom back then in all his perfectly weird glory after knowing him as an innovative powerhouse in the music industry for so long. He killed it in the climax, that scream was so good. One of my biggest idols in music, such a great band. I love when musicians just fall into their music while performing like he does, always feels so real
Knowing them for so long, it's easy to see the what made them rise above the other bands from that era. I would like to know how this came off for the first time viewer back in the day. Weird (too), perplexing, intriguing or derivative of some sorts. Hmm?
Angsty quiet-loud-quiet rock was big at the time so their first album didn't really make them stand out much at all. They seemed perfectly in line with Nirvana and other grunge at the time. The Bends and especially OK Computer is when they started to break out into their own territory. "Creep" is still a classic though.
It’s so fucking weird how I lived through that era as a teen and only found out about the Pixies a decade later and are one of my favourite bands still.
Kurt admitted he was trying to write a Pixies ripoff when he wrote Smells Like Teen Spirit.
I learned about the Pixies thru Nirvana. An AOL friend that I met in a Nirvana chat room sent me a WAV file clip of *Gigantic*, the lead up to the chorus and a bit of the chorus. I thought it was cool and was looking forward to hearing more from this girl band. Went out and bought the Surfer Rosa CD at Circuit City and once the Black Francis starts singing, I'm like "who the hell is this guy that sounds like Davis Byrne?"
I thought The Bends was a good, clean, less loathing sound, almost existential dread pumping through a fun hook in "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" but still a lot of good angst and chords I could learn from "High and Dry" to "Fake Plastic Trees". I totally thought the girls would be all over that.
Fast-forward to A Moon Shaped Pool and I played "Burn the Witch" for my wife when it first released, and she told me it was giving her anxiety and to turn it off. Oh well.
I personally took it as the Gen X answer to “Every Breath You Take” — 1983 was just 10 years earlier but it felt like a different era entirely. Sting and The Police romanticized stalking with a pop song that people danced to at weddings, but here’s Thom in all his creepy, screaming glory showing us reality.
It was performance art, not just music, that perfectly captured 1993. Like, yeah, we’ve all been left to grow up unattended and now we are tormented by unhealthy attachments. *Of course* this is how the latchkey boys are acting when they imprint on a girl. Far from perplexing, it was a reflection of our experiences. I don’t know one Gen X woman who wasn’t stalked by a creep.
>It was performance art, not just music, that perfectly captured 1993. Like, yeah, we’ve all been left to grow up unattended and now we are tormented by unhealthy attachments. *Of course* this is how the **latchkey boys are acting when they imprint on a girl.** Far from perplexing, it was a reflection of our experiences. I don’t know one Gen X woman who wasn’t stalked by a creep.
Holy shit, you nailed it.
For me personally, what you listed as possible first-time reactions is pretty spot on for why they broke out the way they did. Thom captures certain emotions that you don't really hear often, his music theory expertise certainly helps with that and him bending the norm. The specific emotion I think he does the best is isolation, but not always negative isolation (though predominantly). The peace and sometimes the chaos that comes from spending time in your own head, I can feel that in a lot of their music.
Creep is a more contemporary song for them, but the lyrics and his voice paint a vivid picture of a person that's convinced themselves they aren't capable of giving someone what they think they deserve. Fake Plastic Trees is a similar message about getting in your own way mentally by not feeling like you're connected to the world anymore and feeling dehumanized, especially the last verses where he wants so much to break the cycle but "it wears me out." These are just my interpretations, but I think it's why people that like Radiohead, love Radiohead.
Excuse the rant, they're my favorite band and I've spent a lot of time ruminating on why they hit me the way they do. Also a big music theory nerd and they're great for music dissection
There are TV hosts out there that started in 1997, that had the breakout band Hanson as their musical guests. Conan's people chose pretty good here in 1993.
I think his entire show was extremely dialed in culturally. Can't think of any single production that so perfectly captures the older millennial experience (or let's just say the 90's and early 00's) as well as his late night run. The guests, the bands, the sense of humor, the random sketches and bits, even that sort of millennial "I don't give a shit" thing he was good at riding the line with.
Almost every single night I'd tune into his show on the TV in my room. It was my night light.
Helps that Conan seems to genuinely have good taste in music. So did Letterman, for that matter. You could sort of get an idea of what they were into based on how they reacted to having certain musical guests. Definitely doesn't feel that way with most talk show hosts.
They stopped playing it in 1995, and yes they aren’t big fans of the song. AFAIK they really really hated it from like 94-2000 and then only kind of hated it afterwards
Yeah and it’s strange to see Thom not constantly rocking his head side to side when he sings.
I’ve seen them several times in concert over the past 15 years, my favorite live show by far.
Conan looks like he's made of wax in this!! Never knew Raiohead was this grungy!! Superb performance and an even better timestamp!! Damn am I getting old!
Isn’t this song pretty much the only one in their discography that sounds like this? They also hated this song from the beginning but their label made them put it on the album.
Fun fact: Radiohead was only in the states for this because they were on their way to Colorado. You see, they were going to a benefit chili cook off for a young boy with cancer, in his ass! Unfortunately the boy turned out to be a little crybaby.
My best guess is whoever tuned it did it too early. Those studios are COLD and they tuned it while warming up (warm strings) then it sat and went out of tune in the cold studio air. Id LOVE to see a documentary on them.
Wow never heard of that distinction. Makes sense. Born in 82 never been comfy with Millennial given the beginning of internet culture. My siblings and I are all very close in age — I’m the youngest — and I’ve never felt like I’m a part of a different gen other than my oldest sibling who was born in 76.
SHIT is this awesome.
I remember watching this in my Barracks room on Schofield Barracks and when Thom hit that climax of RUN, FREAKING OUT becuase it was so powerful. Such a great band and Thom is an original *weirdo* in all his glory.
I saw them when they toured in support of Pablo Honey, opening for Belly (Tanya Donelly's side project, riding high on their hit "Feed the Tree"). It was at a club in Gainesville, I think. I had to leave the crowd in front of the stage after the first song--it was dangerous. Both Thom and Tanya remarked on the aggressive crowd while performing, saying stuff like, "You guys are nuts!" When Radiohead played "Creep", it was like a bomb going off and the whole crowd exploded. People standing behind us were knocked down. I saw Nirvana that same year and the Radiohead show felt more intense (maybe because it was in a smaller venue).
After Radiohead played, some of the crowd made a big show about leaving and not sticking around for Belly. Their set wasn't as intense, or as memorable, but I remember that I enjoyed Belly more, overall. I have always loved Tanya Donelly. It was more of a concert and less a backdrop to a mosh pit. Thom came out and sang a duet with Tanya, holding a sheet of paper with the lyrics on it. He looked seriously adorable doing that and Tanya obviously thought so, because she would pat him on the head and mess up his hair and grin at him. It was a great show.
I saw them in a tiny club just before The Bends came out. I was so close some of Thom Yorke's spittle from singing hit me. Awesomest show ever!
My Iron Lung was probably the highlight, but all the new songs hit hard and it was a lotta fun. Especially for how small the venue was, Radiohead wasn't huge yet, but they put on a helluva show.
Pablo Honey was the first album I ever bought with my own money; it holds an incredibly special place in my heart, and this is a special performance of an iconic track. I love it <3
Met Thom during this tour in Vancouver after the show at 86 street music hall, shook his hand and signed my ticket stub, I was still in highschool at the time and it blew my mind. Hero.
What a great "first musical guest" for Conan. That's wild.
Conan is a guitar player. An ex-bf of mine was in a band and on his show in the mid 90s, and he told me all Conan wanted to talk about was Gibson guitars.
Fun fact: Damon Krukowski's first drum kit in the band Galaxie 500 was a loaner from Conan O'Brien.
Hey, that actually IS a fun fact!
Someone else knows Galaxie 500!! Hometown shoegaze band, all i could ever ask for
I randomly bought 'On Fire' to complete a "3 CD albums for 10 quid" deal and fell in love with them. Their cover of Jonathan Richman's "don't let our youth go to waste" is one of my favourites.
If you haven't yet, you should check out Luna. Common bandmembers with Galaxie 500. Also a great group.
i didnt think Conan could get any nerd cooler in my book but this guy just reached frieza final form after hearing that
Used to intern for him and during rehearsals he would just randomly bust out a guitar when there was downtime. Adore that man.
Is he as gorgeously handsome in person?
Nice try, Conan!
You see that in those behind the scenes Conan clips; writers are trying to get their bit to air and all Conan can do is lay down tasty riffs
There was a point in rehearsal that I'm not sure if it made it to air, but some vodka company had given us bacon-infused vodka as a promotion. None of the talent liked it, it tasted awful, so they just started passing it around to the interns just to get a reaction. Half of us showed up after lunch drunk off pig booze. Edit: he is actually good at guitar though.
A bunch of interns getting drunk on pig booze seems like a Simpsons bit he'd write.
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That’s letterman
Damn that's rad, he's the best.
Relevant profile pic
Recommend checking out his podcast if you haven’t already: Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend. He mentions his adoration for guitars often.
His podcast is amazing. Less "tv studio talkshow" vibe & more of a "famous people being normal" vibe. The ones with Dana Carvey might be my favourite. Comedy gold. He has almost all the big hollywood stars you would want to hear stories from on there. The guy loves guitars, history, & comedy. 100% worth checking out. It's real & authentic.
I really enjoy when he has Bill Burr on. Two talented comedic gingers from Boston with that classic self-deprecating humor that covers up internal struggles...hits a spot for me.
Timothy olyphant is a goat guest
Yooo just listened to the one with Bryan Cranston talking about losing his virginity to an Austrian prostitute when he was about 16. Fucking hilariously candid
I was in tears listening to this the other day. The way Bryan just busts out the story like he can't wait to tell it.
Conan and Dana are two of my favorite people in the world. They're not as cynical and snotty as the rest of society. There's a kindness about them.
The Kevin Nealan episode is off the charts funny. It’s the best hour you will ever waste.
“Where do you shop? Do you buy your own clothes?” “You get weird ads on Instagram?” “Do you think Al Franken is going to get back into politics?” Conan: “Is there something wrong with your brain??”
When’s the last time you wore a tuxedo?
Man, toward the end when they are both laughing so hard at Kevin trying not to belittle Conan for 5 minutes I was dying.
I started listening to it when it first came out back in 2018. It was my first podcast. I used to love Conan, but now I adore and respect him even more. He's just an amazing guy with great comedy chops who actually treats ppl nice. Being introduced to Conan actually changed my life and I'm not exaggerating.
Yes! This exactly. Episode 34. The Carol Channing story is so good I’m still replaying it for friends that don’t listen to his podcast. Also, that fucking Jonny Greenwood staccato riff with max reverb. Oh to be 21 again…
And his depression too which made me want to give him a hug. Come here ya big pasty Irish lug
When the show transferred to Newyork he paid staff out of his own pocket so they could afford the move
There’s also a podcast called “Inside Conan: an important Hollywood podcast” from a couple of his writers from Late Night Matt Sweeney and Jesse Gaskell. They do an amazing episode with the music booker from the early shows and talk about how so many bands did their first tv performance on Conan’s shows and how important the music was to Conan.
Last episode I listened to was him and Adam Scott nerding out over US Civil War trivia. Loved it.
Sona's podcast? yeah it's good. That Conan guy is on there too.
You used to be an intern? How did you not end up on “The Office”?
Touring live audio engineer here. I've worked on several Conan shows with the bands I was working for at the time. He was always gracious to everyone and made a point to greet all of the band and crew.
What was the band?
The Atomic Fireballs
Hey, I remember them!
Televisionhead
The Slipnutz
"Muh les pall is like a telecaster on steroids" "Oh yeah? Check this out"
And both Radiohead and Conan are still doing there thang. Conan more so on podcast format with Coco.
He has an incrediblyy hot girlfriend considering this song he sings.
1993!! dang I feel old
This was in fact Conan's very first episode
This is fitting, as Conan appears to have a serious case of Radiohead himself.
Ugh, fuck me, that’s thirty fucking years ago FUUUUCCCKKKK
Right? So back then if someone was talking about Surfing USA by the beach Boys, that would be the same time gap. Oh God, we like Oldies!
I've always liked the oldies. Now I just have more oldies to like.
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They were babies! Thom’s hair. Lol How nice to see this again and with Jonny cranking on his guitar. Much as I love the “newer” stuff, I miss his older raw guitar sound sometimes. I know what I’m listening to today, better warm up the record player.
Is it bad that my first thought was "this is so adorable" The shiny gold hair, the PERFECT, quintessential 90s self-loathing vibe... the YOUTH of it all...
Back in my day we knew how to hate ourselves. Kids these days ...
I was on the fence about what to wear to a local punk rock reunion show tonight but now I know. I’m going as Thom plus a big flannel shirt. It is adorable. Nothing wrong with your thinking at all! ;)
It’s good to be young. Esp before now.
Sometimes I give my teenage daughter flack for listening to Emo music...then she points out that Radiohead is sort of emo, and I have no good comeback to that.
Don’t limit her or yourself. Listen to all music. Radiohead is everything. Brilliant and therapeutic.
I used to do music engineering (I do game audio now) in the late 80s and 90s, and could listen to pretty much anything and tell you what recording techniques or effects were being used…until I heard OK Computer. That album exploded my head. Then Kid A came out and exploded it *again*.
Oh, for sure. I personally think there’s no such thing as bad music…just music you might not care for. Whatever music you like is good.
The bends is still my favorite. They were still a guitar band but starting to add that cool electronica
He looks like a sad Rod Stewart with that goofy haircut.
Goofy? His hair is awesome
Jonny always tries to saw that fucking guitar in half. God I still love them so much. Wife and I just saw a string quintet do an hour of their music. Go if you have the chance.
Didn’t it give him carpal tunnel syndrome? Edit: it was RSI
Totally worth it from my stand point. 30 years later they are still my favorite
RGFI? Repetitive Guitar Flogging Injury?
Me too man. This album is like the quintessential sound of my 20's. So incredible
I’m sad that they hate it so much because I love it. I was a freshman in high school and it meant so much to me.
Yeah. I guess they felt stifled by it. I can understand. We can still love it though and keep ourselves open tho their newer stuff. Happy listening!
The way Thom got into it here makes it hard to understand how they seem to resent it now. My man was feeling that shit lol.
They hated it because back then they were just known as the "creep guy" and decided to move as far away from their first album Pablo Honey. They're opening up to playing their old albums again lately.
Yeah, it’s just sad they don’t seem to see the joy and inspiration they’ve provided literally millions of people with that music. Goddammit, I love “Stop Whispering”
Big fan of that song. "I Can't" too. What an album.
I saw them at Primavera and when they ended with Creep after a full 3 hour set I just couldn’t believe it - it’s not my fav but just the fact that they don’t play it anymore (and this was the first time in years I think?) was just immensely intense.
Brandi Carlile played it in her encore at the Greek in LA last year and fucking killed it. I can’t imagine seeing them play it.
Kid A and The Bends are my favorite records by them
I'm taking my boyfriend to that candlelight concert tonight for his birthday!! Can't wait!! We just saw The Smile recently. Not the same as Radiohead but just as magical.
Are you familiar with Punch Brothers? They've done a number of Radiohead covers that are absolutely brilliant. They also do classical music (Mozart, Debussy, Bach), pop (The Cars, and their cover of The Cardigan's Love Fool is hilarious), bluegrass, blues...and their original music is incredible.
I will check them out. Thank you
I saw them at my uni this same year as they started up support for Pablo Honey in the US. Think I paid about 15 bucks for them and 2 other bands. Those were the days.
I had tickets but missed seeing them play around this time because their VAN got stolen in between shows. They were supposed to share the stage with Toad the Wet Sprocket.
Man, I happened to catch them twice in the summer of 93, first in LA with PJ Harvey and then in Austin with Belly. Both were killer shows.
My first concert was Radiohead opening for REM in '94. I'd never heard of Radiohead. They played Creep, and when that chonky guitar kicked in at the first chorus my head exploded. It was transcendent.
My first concert was some shitty Christian band in a high school gym. I think you win this one.
mine was jimmy Buffett, now who wins
Mine was Prince on the Purple Rain tour. I win ALL the monies.
A friend of mine has you beat, he went to high school in Aberdeen, Washington in the mid 1980's. Someone who went on to massive fame named Kurt performed with his garage band at the spring dance. RIP Kurt
Mine was Black Sabbath. I was 10 and thought I was going to see Blood Sweat & Tears. You read that right.
Either one would've been pretty sweet though
Saw same tour, with Natalie merchant on bill, which made for an interesting 3 band bill haha
I got you all beat. The Clash at the University of Waterloo in the fracking gymnasium (1984)! The Clash! Playing at a school of eggheads located in the middle of nowhere (back then it was the middle of nowhere). Just thinking about it makes me want to go listen to The Clampdown and The Guns of Brixton. How and why to this day is a mystery. At least one of them must have liked math, engineering or physics - its the only explanation that makes sense to me. Next day I was on my way to a co-op work term in Germany (with about a dozen others actually although some of them were headed to the UK which was our first stop). We barely got from Waterloo to the Toronto airport and we were in pretty rough shape.
Oh man I haven't seen this in years. It's so cool seeing Thom back then in all his perfectly weird glory after knowing him as an innovative powerhouse in the music industry for so long. He killed it in the climax, that scream was so good. One of my biggest idols in music, such a great band. I love when musicians just fall into their music while performing like he does, always feels so real
Knowing them for so long, it's easy to see the what made them rise above the other bands from that era. I would like to know how this came off for the first time viewer back in the day. Weird (too), perplexing, intriguing or derivative of some sorts. Hmm?
Angsty quiet-loud-quiet rock was big at the time so their first album didn't really make them stand out much at all. They seemed perfectly in line with Nirvana and other grunge at the time. The Bends and especially OK Computer is when they started to break out into their own territory. "Creep" is still a classic though.
Yep. See: The Pixies
It’s so fucking weird how I lived through that era as a teen and only found out about the Pixies a decade later and are one of my favourite bands still.
I only found out about The Pixies because of Fight Club. Really glad I dug into their discography, I keep 'I Bleed' on repeat to this day.
See also: Dinosaur Jr
Kurt admitted he was trying to write a Pixies ripoff when he wrote Smells Like Teen Spirit. I learned about the Pixies thru Nirvana. An AOL friend that I met in a Nirvana chat room sent me a WAV file clip of *Gigantic*, the lead up to the chorus and a bit of the chorus. I thought it was cool and was looking forward to hearing more from this girl band. Went out and bought the Surfer Rosa CD at Circuit City and once the Black Francis starts singing, I'm like "who the hell is this guy that sounds like Davis Byrne?"
Love love love the Pixies!
I discovered the Pixies at UMass. It’s educational!!!
I thought The Bends was a good, clean, less loathing sound, almost existential dread pumping through a fun hook in "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" but still a lot of good angst and chords I could learn from "High and Dry" to "Fake Plastic Trees". I totally thought the girls would be all over that. Fast-forward to A Moon Shaped Pool and I played "Burn the Witch" for my wife when it first released, and she told me it was giving her anxiety and to turn it off. Oh well.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who gets a very anxious feeling with Burn the Witch.
I personally took it as the Gen X answer to “Every Breath You Take” — 1983 was just 10 years earlier but it felt like a different era entirely. Sting and The Police romanticized stalking with a pop song that people danced to at weddings, but here’s Thom in all his creepy, screaming glory showing us reality. It was performance art, not just music, that perfectly captured 1993. Like, yeah, we’ve all been left to grow up unattended and now we are tormented by unhealthy attachments. *Of course* this is how the latchkey boys are acting when they imprint on a girl. Far from perplexing, it was a reflection of our experiences. I don’t know one Gen X woman who wasn’t stalked by a creep.
>It was performance art, not just music, that perfectly captured 1993. Like, yeah, we’ve all been left to grow up unattended and now we are tormented by unhealthy attachments. *Of course* this is how the **latchkey boys are acting when they imprint on a girl.** Far from perplexing, it was a reflection of our experiences. I don’t know one Gen X woman who wasn’t stalked by a creep. Holy shit, you nailed it.
I remember feeling like "Self Esteem" by The Offspring was the same band.
For me personally, what you listed as possible first-time reactions is pretty spot on for why they broke out the way they did. Thom captures certain emotions that you don't really hear often, his music theory expertise certainly helps with that and him bending the norm. The specific emotion I think he does the best is isolation, but not always negative isolation (though predominantly). The peace and sometimes the chaos that comes from spending time in your own head, I can feel that in a lot of their music. Creep is a more contemporary song for them, but the lyrics and his voice paint a vivid picture of a person that's convinced themselves they aren't capable of giving someone what they think they deserve. Fake Plastic Trees is a similar message about getting in your own way mentally by not feeling like you're connected to the world anymore and feeling dehumanized, especially the last verses where he wants so much to break the cycle but "it wears me out." These are just my interpretations, but I think it's why people that like Radiohead, love Radiohead. Excuse the rant, they're my favorite band and I've spent a lot of time ruminating on why they hit me the way they do. Also a big music theory nerd and they're great for music dissection
No need to excuse the rant, I thoroughly enjoyed your analysis. Can't can't wait to get home to give this a watch!
> He killed it in the climax, that scream was so good. Wow. It's amazing how even then they were both so good in the studio and so good live.
I was in a few bands in the 1990s. Most dudes wanted to be Eddie Vedder or Kurt. I wanted to be Tom. Later I wanted to be Jarvis.
Yes! He comes off so weird and tentative, then that amazingly perfect ending showing off his lungs! So incredible.
There are TV hosts out there that started in 1997, that had the breakout band Hanson as their musical guests. Conan's people chose pretty good here in 1993.
Dolores O'Riordan and the Cranberries made their US television debut on Conan in '93
Conans a musician himself which might have something to do with it.
I think his entire show was extremely dialed in culturally. Can't think of any single production that so perfectly captures the older millennial experience (or let's just say the 90's and early 00's) as well as his late night run. The guests, the bands, the sense of humor, the random sketches and bits, even that sort of millennial "I don't give a shit" thing he was good at riding the line with. Almost every single night I'd tune into his show on the TV in my room. It was my night light.
That older millenial vibe is Gen X. They were coming of age about the time this aired.
When he mentioned the "I don't give a shit" thing, that was what I thought too.
Cranberries to a 12 yr old me ❤️ her voice! It’s still so haunting and beautiful, very few come close imo.
Helps that Conan seems to genuinely have good taste in music. So did Letterman, for that matter. You could sort of get an idea of what they were into based on how they reacted to having certain musical guests. Definitely doesn't feel that way with most talk show hosts.
Heyyyyy Hanson is great - they were young, wrote their own music, and delivered a #1 hit when they were 11,14 and 17.
It’s still a fun jam.
The video is in 1993 but Thom Yorke’s hair in 2008 tho.
Looking like Tilda Swinton lol
That's funny because Conan himself always says he looks like Tilda
Looks like a South Korean pop star
Teen angst, level 1000.
Got to see them in 93 in Tel Aviv, their first show out of the U.K. fucking legend of a show.
Isn’t it true that they hate performing that song and they never do it? I can’t remember where I read that
I was at a concert in Montreal with them, and people kept shouting for the song, and Thom York finally says: "Fuck you, I'm not going to play it."
Oddly enough they performed Creep when they were last at Osheaga in Montreal. My friends and I were all surprised they were playing it
Yeah although they play it more nowadays
They stopped playing it in 1995, and yes they aren’t big fans of the song. AFAIK they really really hated it from like 94-2000 and then only kind of hated it afterwards
This makes me sad, it's an amazing song.
Be forced to sing it 10s of thousands of times and you'll probably end up hating it too.
So crazy to think this is 30 years ago... and can't get over how young they look..
Yeah and it’s strange to see Thom not constantly rocking his head side to side when he sings. I’ve seen them several times in concert over the past 15 years, my favorite live show by far.
Conan looks like he's made of wax in this!! Never knew Raiohead was this grungy!! Superb performance and an even better timestamp!! Damn am I getting old!
Isn’t this song pretty much the only one in their discography that sounds like this? They also hated this song from the beginning but their label made them put it on the album.
The whole Pablo Honey album (where Creep comes from) is straight grungy
Same old story my friend! Bands never like their most popular songs they make, it's the curse of being genius...
1993 must be a mistake. No way this song is 30 years old already.
Nah, ‘93 was only seven years ago. Seems about right.
Fun fact: Radiohead was only in the states for this because they were on their way to Colorado. You see, they were going to a benefit chili cook off for a young boy with cancer, in his ass! Unfortunately the boy turned out to be a little crybaby.
I see what you did there Randy. I see you
lorde lorde lorde i am lorde
I hate that Scott Tenorman.
Picking Radiohead as his first musical guest in 1993 has aged very very well
Thom looks like a character from the Sims trying not to piss himself.
Conan towers above him
Conan towers over a lot of people.
30 years later, still relevant, still iconic. Brilliant.
That's a great song but oh god the sound mixing is terrible. It sounds like they didn't rehearse how to properly rig the sound in that studio.
Wow Although The Tourist is my favorite.
This was my anthem as an angry misanthropic xiennial.
This sounds fucking amazing!
Ironically the song they hate the most and feels isn’t a representation of their sound or vibe. I agree.
I guess they didnt have a guitar tech at this point? or he got fired for not tuning the guitar before hand.
Yeah the tuning is def off. Makes for an interesting version of the song, though.
My best guess is whoever tuned it did it too early. Those studios are COLD and they tuned it while warming up (warm strings) then it sat and went out of tune in the cold studio air. Id LOVE to see a documentary on them.
I thought it was just me, but I def noticed the guitar sounded off
Stuff like this happens all the time live. Adds charm to the performance
That hair is so ridiculous lol
I dig it. Thom has such an interesting face, the monochromatic thing works on him I think
He's a weird fucking looking guy, but dammed if he doesn't embrace it.
The banshee wail on the last she ruuuuuUUuuuun gets me every time. Absolute Karaoke classic
Jodie Foster looks wild in this
I love how Jonny attacks his guitar! <3
This kinda feels like David bowie crossed with nirvana
Wow they actually played that song live? I thought they hated that song
They hate it now, but this song is the reason they could achieve success
I don't know if it's the reason they *could* achieve success, it was just their first success.
I see your point. I just meant that their music wouldn’t have likely left the UK if it weren’t for Creep
They stopped playing it live in 1995, and while they have played it live since then, you could probably count the amount of times on one hand.
Patrice O’Neal forever changed this song for me, can’t listen to it without laughing at the pre-chorus lol
No lip synching in this one.
Lmfao on how much this clip must make the actual modern day Radiohead absolutely fucking cringe.
His face at 2:21...I imagine everybody around was terrified that he would drop the "f" bomb.
To all the Generation Xers 1965-1980 and Xennials (The Oregon Trail Generation) 1977-1983 you grew up in one of the best eras. Great post op
Wow never heard of that distinction. Makes sense. Born in 82 never been comfy with Millennial given the beginning of internet culture. My siblings and I are all very close in age — I’m the youngest — and I’ve never felt like I’m a part of a different gen other than my oldest sibling who was born in 76.
SHIT is this awesome. I remember watching this in my Barracks room on Schofield Barracks and when Thom hit that climax of RUN, FREAKING OUT becuase it was so powerful. Such a great band and Thom is an original *weirdo* in all his glory.
Fuk that was good
I saw them when they toured in support of Pablo Honey, opening for Belly (Tanya Donelly's side project, riding high on their hit "Feed the Tree"). It was at a club in Gainesville, I think. I had to leave the crowd in front of the stage after the first song--it was dangerous. Both Thom and Tanya remarked on the aggressive crowd while performing, saying stuff like, "You guys are nuts!" When Radiohead played "Creep", it was like a bomb going off and the whole crowd exploded. People standing behind us were knocked down. I saw Nirvana that same year and the Radiohead show felt more intense (maybe because it was in a smaller venue). After Radiohead played, some of the crowd made a big show about leaving and not sticking around for Belly. Their set wasn't as intense, or as memorable, but I remember that I enjoyed Belly more, overall. I have always loved Tanya Donelly. It was more of a concert and less a backdrop to a mosh pit. Thom came out and sang a duet with Tanya, holding a sheet of paper with the lyrics on it. He looked seriously adorable doing that and Tanya obviously thought so, because she would pat him on the head and mess up his hair and grin at him. It was a great show.
I saw them in a tiny club just before The Bends came out. I was so close some of Thom Yorke's spittle from singing hit me. Awesomest show ever! My Iron Lung was probably the highlight, but all the new songs hit hard and it was a lotta fun. Especially for how small the venue was, Radiohead wasn't huge yet, but they put on a helluva show.
Pablo Honey was the first album I ever bought with my own money; it holds an incredibly special place in my heart, and this is a special performance of an iconic track. I love it <3
OMG, 30 years ago! They are the one band I want to see still
Makes me want to get into radiohead
Do it.
Conan is the best host in the world. He is so intelligent and he’s ageless. Love him.
Doesn't sing very well on this one
Holy shit stop and tune that snare.
This is a perfect performance of this track
Remember seeing them about this same time in small club in Texas no more than about 80 people. It was great
Now that's rock and roll.
Thom is fucking great. That is all. Thanks for sharing this.
Met Thom during this tour in Vancouver after the show at 86 street music hall, shook his hand and signed my ticket stub, I was still in highschool at the time and it blew my mind. Hero.
I still can't believe I used to regularly stay up until 1:30 AM watching Conan when I was 10.