Radiohead video: Thom Yorke playing drums

Thom Yorke in Nigel Godrich's very large basement
Thom Yorke in Nigel Godrich's very large basement

What with Radiohead single-handedly changing the face of music distribution and preparing to embark on a massive world tour to promote latest album In Rainbows, it´s pleasantly surprising to hear that they´ve still got time for a spot of instrument swapping. Radiohead recently performed Bangers ‘n Mash for Pitchfork.tv with frontman Thom Yorke on drums.

The performance took place in producer Nigel Godrich´s basement studio with the full band line-up in attendance. Thom Yorke didn´t replace usual drummer Phil Selway but instead played a second kit while singing.

It´s not the first time either. During the Kid A and Amnesiac album sessions the whole band experimented with different instruments with Yorke playing both drums and bass guitar. You can also watch Thom Yorke banging the drums on the aforementioned track live in San Diego.

More singers who drum

Dave Grohl with QOTSA and Foo Fighters, Phil Collins, Karen Carpenter and The Eagles' Don Henley are all well known for drumming.

Categories
The MusicRadar team

MusicRadar is the number 1 website for music makers of all kinds, be they guitarists, drummers, keyboard players, djs or producers...

  • GEAR: We help musicians find the best gear with top-ranking gear round-ups and high- quality, authoritative reviews by a wide team of highly experienced experts.
  • TIPS: We also provide tuition, from bite-sized tips to advanced work-outs and guidance from recognised musicians and stars.
  • STARS: We talk to musicians and stars about their creative processes, and the nuts and bolts of their gear and technique. We give fans an insight into the actual craft of music making that no other music website can.