subject: Radiohead Tickets - Acclaimed Band Tours The U.s. For The First Time In Four Years [print this page] The band that had what has long been acclaimed as one of the landmark albums of the 1990s, OK Computer, Radiohead is once again back on an international tour. Although Radiohead tries to tour every year, with gaps in between to record albums or to take a break, the band has not been in the U.S. to tour in over four years. So when Radiohead announced some tour dates in various U.S. cities, Radiohead tickets immediately sold out to see them play. Having been formed in the 1980s with their first album out in 1993, Radiohead has only released eight studio albums. However, each album has seen a transformation for the band and a growth in their sound. Radiohead continues to be one of the best rock bands coming out of England with staying power in the last few decades.
Becoming Radiohead
Initially called On a Friday because that happened to be the day the band would rehearse in their school's music room, Radiohead was formed by Phil Selway, Ed O'Brien, Colin Greenwood, and Thom Yorke in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, England at the Abingdon School. While the band did play gigs here and there, Greenwood, Selway, O'Brien, and Yorke left to attend university in 1987. They continued playing as On a Friday throughout local spots in Oxfordshire and eventually their popularity began to grow. The band became so well-known in the area that music producers began to take notice. They recorded demo tapes and eventually were picked up by EMI A&R in 1991, the same year that they changed their name to Radiohead at their label's request.
Despite the later popularity of the single "Creep" from their first album Drill EP, the song did not do well at first. In fact, both Drill EP and their first LP Pablo Honey were more cult listening than mainstream. However, in 1993, "Creep" actually became extremely popular on Israeli radio and eventually they were asked to do their first international gig in Tel Aviv. Subsequently that year, Radiohead went on their first North American tour in support of both albums. "Creep" had become a huge hit in the U.S. and had regular play on the radio and on MTV. Actually, Radiohead became a bigger hit in the States than in England, though they began growing a bigger fan base after their initial international tour.
When OK Computer was released in 1997, Radiohead had an explosion of fame and notoriety. With that album, Radiohead experimented with a mix of different sounds and styles and were excited when rock fans actually got the mix and related to it. From that album on, Radiohead became an international success, releasing albums and singles that were embraced by fans everywhere.
The King of Limbs and More
With the release of The Kings of Limbs in 2011, Radiohead is setting up to try to record more albums that will resonate with loyal fans and new rock fans alike. They have already had some U.S. tour dates and are poised to sign a few more after their international leg of their tour that includes Italy, Germany, France, Australia, and others.
