Deerhoof are releasing their new album, 'Friend Opportunity' next week. Drummer Greg Saunier talked to JunkMedia about their tour with Radiohead last year. You have been playing quite a few high profile shows lately. What was it like for the band to open up for Radiohead?
Greg Saunier: "Everybody knows what an uncommon live group they are, and even with years of buildup and knowing there was no way they could live up to the legend, they were so much better than even my highest expectation that my whole outlook on the world had to be immediately revised. But what people might not know is that they are so great in person. All five of them, and everyone in their enormous crew, were all so sweet to us. They really supported our music. If one of John's pedals got busted, someone from their crew would immediately offer to help. Someone from the band watched us from the side of the stage almost every night. Phil brought us cupcakes. Jonny brought us champagne and offered to play on our album, until he heard some rough mixes and said it already sounded done. Jonny did our light show in Amsterdam. He even used the strobe light which wasn't allowed. Ed asked us how we got our guitar tone, [because] he wanted to steal it. When Radiohead had a night off in Dublin, and Deerhoof had our own show in a small club, how did Thom spend his free time? He came to our show and danced like crazy. Colin kept taking our picture and posting pictures of us on Radiohead's website, and he'd imitate Satomi's dance during their show. Jim Warren, who does their sound mix, said he'd be happy to do ours as well and went and studied one of our albums to research what we wanted our mix to sound like. I do not expect this sort of treatment from any band, let alone a band on the level of Radiohead. They are disproving every truism about how famous people are supposed to act, and that taught us a beautiful lesson."
We, from 'The Phillovers', knew Phil was an expert in the field of cupcakes. He often makes them for our Phillover Fan days. Those on that picture are the ones he made for our last meeting. Phil promised to bring the cupcakes for our next Phillover Fan days in Iceland. This will be the first fan meeting where the other Radiohead band members will be present.
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