Thom Yorke has threatened to quit touring unless measures are introduced to halt the “ridiculous consumption of energy” involved.
Speaking to The Guardian yesterday, Thom vented his fury at the current state of modern-day touring whilst promoting a Friends of The Earth climate change campaign.
“I would consider refusing to tour on environmental grounds, if nothing started happening to change the way the touring operates,” Yorke revealed.
“Some of our best ever shows have been in the US, but there’s 80,000 people there and they’ve all been sitting in traffic jams for five or six hours with their engines running to get there, which is bollocks.”
As for his own method of transport for reaching distant concert venues, Yorke said: “Long haul flights just feel wrong. I’m trying to figure out a way of getting to Japan by train. I quite fancy that Trans-Siberian whatsitsname but apparently it’s a bit scary.”
Thom Yorken will call on the government to make UK companies more accountable for their impacts on poor people and the global environment today, in an open letter to MPs in Tuesday’s Guardian.
The letter urges MPs to back amendments to the Companies Bill which would make companies accountable for their social and environmental impacts. The Bill is due to receive its third reading in the House of Commons this week.
The letter references cases concerning Tesco’s workers rights records on fruit farms in South Africa, as well as a recent ActionAid report which detailed alleged environmental and human rights abuses by a subsidiary of UK mining giant Anglo-American at their operation in Ghana.
Radiohead news on this day..
- Thom Yorke’s Office Chart for Autumn – 2010
- ‘In Rainbows’ tops virtual charts – 2007
- Radiohead on the Beeb – 2004
- 2004 JAPAN DATES ANNOUNCED – 2003
- 2+2=5 PROMOS – 2003
- Radiohead nominated for ‘Best act in the world today’ – 2002
- Ride declined tour with Radiohead – 2002
- James Oakes covering Let Down – 2002
- The Promise Ring on Radiohead & working with Nigel Godrich – 2002
