Watch The Smile headline the BBC 6 Music Festival with the London Contemporary Orchestra

The Smile headlined the third night of the BBC 6 Music Festival last night (March 9), alongside the London Contemporary Orchestra – check out the video below. 

• READ MORE: The Smile – ‘Wall of Eyes’ review: a masterclass in pushing rock forward 

The COVID-formed, loose experimental band, comprised of Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood, alongside Sons Of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner, played a lengthy set at Manchester’s O2 Victoria Warehouse, the main body of which saw them joined by the classical orchestra. 

The trio then played a seven-song set alone, comprising largely songs from their first album, 2022’s ‘A Light For Attracting Attention’. 

The full set is available to watch via BBC iPlayer here, while clips from the show can be seen here: 

The night before, Gossip headlined the same venue, being joined by Alison Moyet on a version of Yazoo’s ‘Situation’, while earlier in the day CMAT had been joined by John Grant on ‘Where Are Your Kids Tonight?’. 

The Smile released their second album ‘Wall Of Eyes’ in January, including the singles ‘Bending Hectic’, ‘Wall Of Eyes’ and ‘Friend Of A Friend’. 

In a four-star review of ‘Wall Of Eyes’, NME wrote: “Where previously the comparisons to their Radiohead catalogue could warp expectations, the breadth of the material on offer here suggest that it could, eventually, flip that dynamic right on its head.” 

The Smile’s UK and European tour continues this week and throughout the rest of March. Check out the dates below. 

MARCH
10 – London, Eventim Apollo
13 – Copenhagen, K.B. Hallen
15 – Brussels, Forest National
16 – Amsterdam, AFAS Live
18 – Brighton, Brighton Centre
19 – Manchester, O2 Apollo
20 – Glasgow, SEC Armadillo
22 – Birmingham, O2 Academy
23 – London, Alexandra Palace 

Thom Yorke, meanwhile, has recently written the score for the upcoming film Confidenza, by Italian director Daniele Luchetti.  

The film stars Elio Germano, Vittoria Puccini and Isabella Ferrari, and follows Pietro Vella who works in a run down Roman high school. A synopsis reads: “He strongly believes he can help students strive for a better future and Teresa, and bright and rebellious student, is totally taken with him and his lessons. Then, a few years later, they meet up again and get romantically entangled. Teresa insists they must share their deepest secrets to bond for life. But as soon as Pietro really opens up, the relationship ends.” 

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