Radiohead – In Rainbows

This was just one of those albums that I had to play from beginning to end. That’s how I used to listen to music growing up and I still try to do that. I was living in London by the time this came out in the 2000s and I was already working in the music industry. I started out at 19 Entertainment with S Club 7, believe it or not. This was actually great, because after they went on tour, we’d bring all the tour costumes into the boardroom and it would be a free-for-all for the rest of the staff. Now I just happen to be the same shoe size as Bradley from S Club, so I was able to give pretty much all of his Adidas shelltoes of various colours a very good home. That was a good time, I’ll say that much.

So anyway I was going to a lot of gigs at the time. But Radiohead were the only 'band' that I really loved to go and see live. I think that's something that I didn't expect would change for me. I'd listen to the album all the way through then I'd be like ‘Ok, when are they on tour? When am I going to be able to see and hear the music that I'm listening to at home?’ And In Rainbows was the one where I was really thinking “Now I get to see Radiohead in all their glory!” And then there were the gigs themselves; it was such an informative time for me in London. I knew I loved Radiohead but it was like a refresher of that love: “This is why you love Radiohead and this is why you love to listen to them.” That's what In Rainbows means to me. It was just an album where all my friends loved it as dearly as I did and that brings you together. It binds together a friendship group like nothing else, especially in your twenties.