Two nights before Christmas Eve, Thom Yorke got into the holiday spirit Saturday by delivering an unexpected rendition of “Silent Night” during the singer’s concert at Las Vegas’ The Chelsea.
For his version – which begins at the 45-second mark of the above video – Yorke used the music of Radiohead’s “Reckoner” as foundation for the minute-long take on the yuletide classic. After singing a verse and chorus of “Silent Night,” Yorke and his band smoothly segued into the In Rainbows standout.
The Las Vegas concert marked Yorke’s final scheduled performance of 2018, a year that saw the release of the Radiohead singer’s first feature film score Suspiria; that album’s “Suspirium” was recently named to a 15-song shortlist for the Academy Awards’ Best Original Song Oscar. Radiohead were also named as one of the 2019 inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Yorke’s solo tour also featured a surprise reunion by the supergroup Atoms for Peace, featuring Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea on bass, during a pair of Los Angeles gigs earlier this week. The singer, who is also reportedly working on a “political” solo album, will return to the road for the European music festival circuit in summer 2019.