RADIOHEAD’s return to Manchester after five years was long overdue, although you may have had to strain your ears to realise they were there.

Having been due to play two gigs at the Manchester Arena, recent tragic events saw the concerts moved to one night at Old Trafford cricket ground on Tuesday.

An early kick-off time of 8pm on a school night meant a large part of the crowd were still queueing to get in to the venue for the first few songs.

The bloke next to you scoffing a post-work plate of chilli as the Oxford five-piece launch into set opener Let Down felt far from the relaxed festival atmosphere of when they last played at Old Trafford back on a sunny Sunday in 2008.

But Radiohead are, as ever, on top form. From Johnny Greenwood attacking his guitar with furious precision to Thom Yorke’s frantic, wailing vocals, it’s quite a feat to effortlessly nail songs which are often so musically complex.

The set list spans the band’s entire back catalogue (apart from Pablo Honey – sorry Creep fans), but Radiohead blend their completely disparate styles with ease. It’s just a shame that you can’t really hear it as the PA is deafeningly quiet. Had the gig been able to stay at the arena for which it was designed, Radiohead would have undoubtedly scored high marks.

Not only would it have kept the sound and atmosphere from disappearing off into the ether, the light show would have looked so much more spectacular in the dark rather than whimpering under the late evening sun.

A closing duo of The Bends and Karma Police are highlights, with the crowd roaring back the latter’s refrain of ‘for a minute there I lost myself’ as the band depart. They may have been able to lose themselves in the gig for more than a minute if only the sound guy had turned up the dial just a touch.

ADAM EVERETT