Interview with Ed O'brien. - Le Monde, June 2000.

Interview with Ed O'brien. - Le Monde, June 2000.
Thanks to Benrio for the interview.


QUESTION 1
Wasn't it too difficult, for Radiohead's guitarist, to adapt to the new album songs, to be released in October, which seems to be in an electronic direction?

ANSWER
Our first two albums were entirely made according to live shows. The third one, OK Computer, was recorded at 85% in live conditions. The next one's really different. You'll find in it some liberties with our music, and very surprising things because of unconventional use of electronic music. Some of those songs were almost recorded only by Thom. Some of them couldn't be played live, we didn't touch them. We began to rehearse for this tour five weeks ago. Little by little, we find back an 'alchemy' that we lost for almost two years.

QUESTION 2
After your summer tour in antic theatres, you're going to continue touring, playing under a big-top. Is this to arrange the album's concept with the show?

ANSWER
We recorded records to try different things, and not to become the biggest band in the world. In the same way, the perspective to play again in stadiums or giant places didn't excite us at all. Even if this tent contains 10.000 people, it may have something close; friendly and warm. Our lighter, Andy Watson, more influenced by theatre or dance than by shows, worked a lot on this project.

QUESTION 3
In the movie M.P.I.E, about your last tour, we saw Radiohead 'dead boring' when they weren't playing. Why are you touring back now?

ANSWER
That movie showed not enough the pleasure we had during the shows, our life-maker. But it's true that our life during the tours can be really boring. You must take some precautions to keep living truely: not staying more than four weeks far from your house, keep on recording in studio during the tour, and reading newspapers as to not escape from reality.

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