Thom Yorke Solo - New Song - Latitude 2009 - The Present Tense Link

Was anyone else there that afternoon? Or do you remember the first time you heard the bootleg recording that circled the forums for years after?

There are moments in music history that feel like a collective intake of breath. For those standing in the grass at the in July 2009, that moment arrived during Thom Yorke’s "surprise" solo set. Was anyone else there that afternoon

Looking back, the Latitude version remains many fans' favorite iteration. It’s "The Present Tense" in its purest state: a song about escaping into the dance to avoid the "heavy weight" of reality. For those standing in the grass at the

This performance wasn't just about a new track; it was about the solo identity of Thom Yorke. It bridged the gap between the rock icon of the 90s and the experimental composer he was becoming. The Latitude set proved that Thom didn't need the wall of sound provided by Jonny, Colin, Ed, and Phil to command a festival crowd—all he needed was that unmistakable falsetto and a few haunting chords. This performance wasn't just about a new track;

While the set was packed with The Eraser highlights and stripped-back Radiohead classics, it was a brand-new, unnamed song that stopped everyone in their tracks. We now know it as but back then, it was a fragile, bossa-nova-inflected mystery.