Headlining the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April 2012, Radiohead delivered a masterful performance that captured the band at a unique intersection of their career. Touring in support of their rhythmically complex album "The King of Limbs," the Oxford quintet expanded their live setup with the addition of a second drummer, Clive Deamer of Portishead, to faithfully recreate the record's intricate polyrhythms. The result was a sprawling, nearly two-hour set that was both a hypnotic audio-visual experience and a powerful rock show.
The performance was anchored by material from "The King of Limbs," opening with the atmospheric track "Bloom" and featuring Thom Yorke's now-iconic spastic dance moves during "Lotus Flower". Yet, the setlist was far from one-dimensional, weaving in beloved classics from their extensive catalog. Fan favorites like "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi," "Karma Police," and the climactic "Paranoid Android" resonated across the vast polo field, creating moments of collective euphoria. The show's visual presentation was a spectacle in itself, with a dazzling stage setup of giant displays and vivid, hypnotic lighting that enhanced the music's emotional depth.
This Coachella performance is frequently cited by fans as a highlight of the era, showcasing how the challenging material from "The King of Limbs" truly came alive on stage. It stands as a testament to Radiohead's enduring power as a live act, their meticulous attention to sound and visuals, and their ability to create a transcendent experience for a massive festival audience.