The preparations for Radiohead's 24-date run through concert sheds — including three festivals — were intense, says bassist Colin Greenwood: "We just spent four weeks rehearsing 70 songs. There is a blackboard in the rehearsal room, with songs in different-colored chalk — which doesn't mean anything. It's just the nearest piece of chalk Thom has to his hand," he notes, referring to singer Thom Yorke. "He's very good at writing on a blackboard, actually. He would have been a very good teacher."

With seven studio albums to choose from, how did you pick songs for a tour? And how much of that is Thom's decision?
Thom put together a list of songs. There's not much from the first record [1993's Pablo Honey], but everything else is well-represented. And there are certain songs that will have their time in the sun again, like "Myxomatosis" [from 2003's Hail to the Thief], which I'm really enjoying again.

Are there new unrecorded songs on the blackboard that you are playing?
That's [guitarist and Colin's brother] Jonny's big passion, to put new songs in the show. There is one that reminds me of "Motion Picture Soundtrack" [from 2000's Kid A]. It has that big, epic atmosphere but is achingly sad as well. That's an emotional key I respond to in Radiohead.

You are known for playing different sets every night. But I've noticed that Thom often changes songs in midshow, depending on his mood. Your crew must love that.
A lot of bands have the songs they're playing printed on the back of a laminate for the next three months, and the lighting person gets upset if you change the order. We have a compromise with our guy. He knows we're going to play one of 70 songs — and he spends a month programming all of the songs into his computer, just in case.

I'm excited about the lighting. It will be LED onstage, which has low amp output, to reduce the carbon impact. We realized it is going to be quite chilly out there this time. Normally, it is hot onstage when you use incandescent lights. We thought maybe we should get some gas-powered patio burners to keep us warm. But we'll just put some extra layers on.