Radiohead’s long-awaited return to the stage just hit a snag. Thom Yorke has been diagnosed with a severe throat infection, making it literally impossible for him to sing. Because of that, the band has pushed their December 1 and 2 shows in Copenhagen to December 15 and 16.
They announced the news on social media, saying they were devastated to move the shows at such short notice. Still, they’re hopeful Yorke will recover in time for the two remaining Copenhagen dates on December 4 and 5, which are currently set to go ahead as planned.
The new dates now wrap around their four-night run at Berlin’s Uber Arena, happening between December 8 and 12. The band added that they’ve been blown away by the audience reactions so far and hate that they’ve been forced into rescheduling.
Ticket holders who can’t attend the new dates can request refunds, while all other tickets will automatically transfer to the rescheduled nights.
This entire tour marks Radiohead’s first live run in seven years. They kicked things off in November with shows in Madrid, Bologna and London. Their four sold-out nights at London’s O2 Arena even broke the venue’s previous attendance record held by Metallica, pulling in over 22,200 fans each evening.
As for what comes after this tour, no one knows yet. Back in September, drummer Philip Selway said the band had rehearsed “just for the hell of it” after years apart, and rediscovered a spark they’d missed. “For now, it will just be these dates,” he teased, “but who knows where this will lead.”
In short: Radiohead are back, the crowds are going wild, Thom Yorke’s voice chose the worst moment to glitch, and everyone’s waiting to see how quickly he bounces back.