It would be impossible to understand the last three decades of alternative music without the figure of Thom Yorke. The British composer has been in charge of leading, together with Jonny Greenwood, one of the most iconic rock bands of the 90s, Radiohead. Currently, they continue their path of creation and experimentation with The Smile, a band that we were able to enjoy on our stage last July 7th and that left one of the most impressive performances in the history of the festival.
Three months and one day after that unforgettable concert, Yorke celebrates his 54th birthday so we take this opportunity to tell you some curious facts about him and his relationship with our cycle.
Blessed coincidences that the annual calendars give us on certain occasions. In this 2022 it has been the turn of Wellingborough, who will celebrate his 54th birthday on World Smile Day. Perhaps the connotation of The Smile that Yorke and Greenwood devised for their new musical journey is somewhat distant from the traditional gesture of happiness that is commemorated every first Friday of October, but the fact that these two dates have coincided is something magical and typical of... Coincidence or the things of destiny?
It was one of the most expected news. On February 1st, we announced that The Smile was the first band confirmed for thesixth edition of Noches del Botánico. A few days after the preview; Yorke, Greenwood and Skinner offered a streaming concert where they presented, among other songs, their recently released You Will Never Work in a Television.
We have to go back to July 2003 to count the last presence of Thom Yorke in Madrid. It was at Las Ventas on the occasion of the tour to present Hail to the Thief (2003), an album that was released just a month earlier. After almost two decades of waiting, Yorke and Greenwood returned to Madrid, renamed The Smile, and they did it on our stage. What more could you ask for!
