What to Expect on the Solo Thom Yorke Australian Tour

For the first time since Radiohead’s 2012 tour, frontman Thom Yorke has (somewhat randomly) decided to grace our shores with a solo tour! Hinting at something, everyone expected a tour announcement for Yorke and fellow Radiohead member’s side band The Smile but instead were caught off-guard with a solo Thom Yorke Australian tour announcement.

Yorke has just announced a series of intimate performances, performing two shows in both Melbourne and Sydney, where he plans to breathe new life into his extensive back catalogue.

In a statement about the upcoming tour, Yorke mentioned, “I will be alone on stage trying a new kind of solo show thing playing versions of songs from my recent and not-so-recent past.”

So, what can you expect? Think stripped-back, hauntingly beautiful renditions of tracks like Radiohead’s ‘Bloom’ from 2011’s ‘The King of Limbs,’ performed solo on the piano.

Yorke is no stranger to pushing musical boundaries

As the ethereal voice and creative force behind Radiohead, Yorke has been a pivotal figure in modern music, and his solo work is just as groundbreaking. Since Radiohead’s last tour down under, he’s been busy with a slew of projects, including two albums with The Smile—’A Light For Attracting Attention’ (2022) and ‘Wall of Eyes’ (2024). Plus, he’s released solo albums like ‘Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes’ (2014) and ‘ANIMA’ (2019), not to mention his work on soundtracks like 2018’s ‘Suspiria’ and the recent score for the Italian drama ‘Confidenza,’

Thom Yorke Australian tour dates

• Tuesday, 29 October — Sidney Myer Music Bowl: Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Land, Melbourne
• Wednesday, 30 October — Sidney Myer Music Bowl: Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Land, Melbourne- Friday, 1 November — Sydney Opera House Forecourt: Gadigal Land, Sydney
• Saturday, 2 November — Sydney Opera House Forecourt: Gadigal Land, Sydney

Where do you get Thom Yorke Australian tour tickets?

This is the easy part! Queen of Tickets has the best Thom Yorke Australian tour tickets at even better prices. This event is unlikely to ever happen again, and you can make sure you experience it by quickly grabbing your tickets here.

Thom Yorke releases the haunting ‘Confidenza’ Soundtrack

One thing we should probably expect as part of the Thom Yorke Australian tour will be songs from Yorke’s latest venture, the soundtrack for the Italian drama ‘Confidenza.’ A mesmerising journey that underscores his relentless creativity. The album kicks off with “The Big City,” an electro-symphonic dreamscape filled with synth bleeps and delicate vocal nuances. It concludes with “On the Ledge,” a piece that evokes the surreal and chaotic energy of a free-jazz brass band seemingly descending into an inferno. 

Listening to ‘Confidenza,’ you can’t help but imagine a young Yorke, deep in the exploratory sessions for Radiohead’s ‘Kid A’ and ‘Amnesiac,’ grinning ear to ear at this latest creation. Those albums were Yorke’s bold forays into sampling, vocal processing, modular synths, and krautrock rhythms, setting a precedent for the experimental sounds he continues to explore today.

Despite the relatively low-key nature of soundtracks and Yorke’s already legendary status, ‘Confidenza’ stands out as a significant milestone in his career. It’s a testament to his ongoing experimentation with jazz, ambience, and strings—a journey that spans from the days of ‘Kid A’ to ‘A Moon Shaped Pool,’ and extends through his more recent, avant-garde work with The Smile. The soundtrack is almost devoid of guitars, features only a few drum grooves, and sprinkles Yorke’s signature falsetto-like breadcrumbs through a labyrinth of synths and orchestration. Yet, it’s unmistakably his work.

In collaboration with producer Sam Petts-Davies, the London Contemporary Orchestra, and conductor Hugh Brunt, Yorke has crafted ‘Confidenza’ as a cohesive, immersive experience—something that couldn’t quite be said about his previous soundtrack for ‘Suspiria.’ While ‘Suspiria’ felt inseparable from Luca Guadagnino’s surreal horror visuals, ‘Confidenza’ stands on its own, delivering a rich musical journey in just 36 minutes across 12 tracks.

The vocal pieces are particularly striking. “Four Ways in Time” showcases Yorke’s ethereal voice fluttering over trembling strings and the muted, rhythmic pulse of Tom Skinner’s drumming from The Smile. “Knife Edge” offers a haunting, nostalgic lullaby, with Yorke’s cooing vocals intertwining with music box-like keys. Even the brief segues, such as “Letting Down Gently,” add to the album’s atmosphere, with breathy saxophones and probing double-bass creating a jazz-inspired interlude that teases the listener with its brevity.

Yorke and Donwood’s new paintings

If you have your Thom Yorke Melbourne tickets, you’ll likely be met with some very specific visuals at the show. Thom Yorke and Artist Stanley Donwood’s new visual works

Thom Yorke stepped into the art world with a series of new paintings created in collaboration with his longtime visual partner, Stanley Donwood. These works will be showcased at Tin Man Art Gallery in London, marking a new chapter in the duo’s creative journey, which began in 1994 with Donwood’s cover art for Radiohead’s EP, ‘My Iron Lung.’

For Yorke, the artistic process behind these paintings mirrors his approach to making music. “That was what I found exciting, I became so conscious of the fact that the two processes are almost exactly the same.” This synergy between music and visual art has always been a cornerstone of Yorke and Donwood’s partnership, which started when they met as art students. Yorke once noted that he would either dislike Donwood intensely or collaborate with him for life. The latter scenario won out, as Donwood has crafted all of Radiohead’s album art and promotional materials since their early days.

Their collaboration evolved further with their first joint art-making endeavours a few years ago, which included contributions to the digital “KID A MNESIA EXHIBITION” that came along with the release of Radiohead’s triple album ‘Kid A Mnesi.’ This project combined the groundbreaking ‘Kid A’ and ‘Amnesiac’ albums with previously unreleased material, showcasing their shared artistic vision.

The latest exhibition, titled “The Crow Flies Part One,” features over 20 new paintings that Yorke and Donwood created side-by-side on the same canvas in a small studio. This body of work also includes the art for ‘A Light for Attracting Attention,’ the 2022 debut album from Yorke’s new band, The Smile.

Longtime fans of Donwood’s distinctive interpretations of Yorke’s music will recognise the familiar appearance of strange, stylised landscapes in these new pieces. The paintings feature swirling abstract forms layered over intricate, map-like drawings. Inspired by ancient maps, the works are crafted on vellum—calfskin traditionally used before paper became widely available. This medium, combined with techniques like egg tempera and water-based gouache, lends the paintings a delicate, old-world quality.

What does The Smile’s latest album sound like?

Born out of the pandemic, Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood teamed up with Sons of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner to keep busy, and in just two years, they’ve produced more music than Radiohead has in the past fifteen. While Yorke’s solo ventures and Greenwood’s film scores have always felt like side projects, The Smile stands out with enough substance to rival their main gig. Greenwood once mused that he wished Radiohead albums were “90 per cent as good, but come out twice as often.” With The Smile, he’s inching closer to that reality.

Their recent album, ‘Wall of Eyes,’ has garnered attention for its inventive sound and its potential to overshadow Radiohead itself. The Smile’s versatility is doubly impressive in their live performances. Backlit by an LED screen reflecting the new album’s title, they navigate through galloping jazz-rock, neurotic Afrobeat, giallo terror-synths, slinky dub reggae, and krautrock. A standout track, “Bending Hectic,” offers a classic, slow-burning rock anthem. Greenwood, often hidden behind his youthful mop of hair, seamlessly transitions between guitar, synthesiser, piano, and harp in songs like “Speech Bubbles.” Saxophonist Robert Stillman adds to the intensity, especially on the majestic “Instant Psalm.”

Yorke’s lyrics remain a labyrinth of suspicions, phobias, and vendettas, but his stage presence reveals a surprising energy. Kicking off “Zero Sum” with a growl of “here we fucking go” and rallying the crowd to chant the final refrain of “Friend of a Friend,” he seems to revel in the freedom from the weighty expectations of Radiohead fans yearning for another “Paranoid Android.” For years, every record Yorke touched felt like an argument, a repudiation, or an escape. With The Smile, he’s found a space that follows every creative lead and embraces every good idea. 

Thom Yorke’s music visual for “Four Ways In Time”

Thom Yorke recently dropped a captivating new music visual for “Four Ways In Time,” a standout track from his original score for Daniele Luchetti’s film ‘Confidenza.’ The video, re-cut by editor Ael Dallier Vega, features evocative scenes from the film and stars its lead actor, Elio Germano.

“Four Ways In Time” is the latest in a series of releases from Yorke’s ‘Confidenza’ soundtrack. It follows the recent visual for “Knife Edge,” which also featured Elio Germano alongside Federica Rosellini. This video, like its predecessor, was masterfully re-edited by Dallier Vega, bringing a fresh perspective to the film’s sequences. Additionally, “Knife Edge” was paired with a b-side track titled “Prize Giving,” further showcasing the depth of Yorke’s latest project.

Earlier this year, we all got a sneak peek of the soundtrack with “The Big City,” the album’s intro track, which Yorke teased in his playlist for The Smile’s BBC 6 Music Artist in Residence series. ‘Confidenza’ builds on Yorke’s impressive history of film scores following his acclaimed work on Luca Guadagnino’s 2018 ‘Suspiria’ remake. The song “Suspirium” from that score even garnered a Grammy nomination for Best Song Written for Visual Media.

‘Confidenza’ sees Yorke reuniting with producer Sam Petts-Davies, who previously collaborated with him on ‘Suspiria’ and The Smile’s ‘Wall of Eyes.’ Together, they worked with the London Contemporary Orchestra and a jazz ensemble featuring Robert Stillman and Tom Skinner, Yorke’s bandmate from The Smile. This blend of orchestral and jazz elements creates a rich, textured soundscape that perfectly complements the film’s narrative.

Yorke’s recent foray into film scoring also includes contributions to Edward Norton’s ‘Motherless Brooklyn’ in 2019 and two original tracks for the series finale of ‘Peaky Blinders’* in 2022. With ‘Confidenza,’ Yorke continues to expand his musical horizons, delivering a hauntingly beautiful score that resonates within and beyond the context of the film.

Are you ready to get your Thom Yorke Australian tour tickets?

Needless to say, whether you are a fan of Radiohead, The Smile, or Yorke’s solo works, the chance to see the man in a solo appearance is not one to waste. You’ll hear music from all of the above in a way that is rarely experienced. This will be the show of the year! Get your Thom Yorke Australian tour tickets now before they are all gone.