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As the sun prepared to rise over Madrid, Francesco Puddu occupied a ideal position in front of the the imposing concert venue. He joined the first Radiohead fans to gather at the location, buzzing with expectations for the group's first live show in almost a decade, launching a extensive European tour.

"I feel overwhelming joy. It's hard to believe this moment has arrived," stated the young man, who had come from Italy. "It's been so long, even were they perform one track 20 times in a row, I'll be thrilled."

The hours passed quickly as attendees planned their ideal spots in front of the round platform, and reveled in the fact that they were among the fortunate ones who had obtained tickets for a concert series that had sold quickly in a very short time.

Debate and Audience Responses

The war in Gaza was an issue that had been discussed throughout the day, considering an advocacy organization had called on people to boycott the tour, citing band member a member's 2024 performance in Israel.

This issue appears to be contentious for the band; after reports emerged about the protest appeal, media representatives were blocked from getting tickets to cover the performance. On that evening, the band did not respond to a question regarding the decision.

Across the nation, where many thousands have taken to the streets in backing for the Palestinian cause, the group's decisions had left some fans divided. "It would have been nice if they had spoken out about it much earlier," said one attendee, 22, who requested that her last name not be published. "Being a supporter, It was disappointing. But at the very least I think they realized their mistake."

She pointed to the incident last year in Melbourne, when the vocalist, the artist, briefly exited the performance during a personal show after a activist heckler called out: "How many more children killed will it take for you to speak against the genocide in the region?"

That wasn't the right way to respond, said the fan. "I disapproved of that reaction." Ultimately, however, the music had swayed her. "I obviously can't control what I feel when I hear music ... I was determined to come and listen the tunes and lyrics that I've been enjoying since I was a child."

Artist's Statement

Yorke later, issued a comment saying the incident in the city left him "stunned that my apparent non-response was somehow being taken as complicity," calling the leader, the politician, and his government as "extremists" who "should be opposed."

Before the European tour, the artist declared that he would "certainly not" play in the country. "I prefer not to be any distance close to the current government," he continued.

Longtime Supporters Share Their Views

Some supported the group, citing their established record of advocacy. "They have long advocated for harmony, they can't have changed now," said Alessandra Fossati. "In my view the people who know them, understand that they are on the correct side."

Tuesday's concert was to be the 50th time she had seen Radiohead take the stage, after falling in love when she originally attended them live in 1995.

This time she had passes for several concerts: opening night in Madrid and every single performance in her nation of Italy. "They constantly evolve from one record, they avoid repeating identical performances," she said as she showed off her pair of Radiohead-themed body art. "Essentially, I used to be a supporter of another band but they kept doing the same things. And eventually you get bored."

Younger Fans Discovers the Fandom

With several fans, the fact that the group had remained seven years without playing live had introduced a awareness of rarity into the current series. "It's possible there won't be another opportunity, the group has aged at this point," said Luka Arreaza, in his twenties, causing amusement from those waiting in line beside him. "Therefore it was truly valuable to attend and enjoy this moment."

Behind him stood Sergio Zapater, who had arrived with his bags after taking a morning train from the coastal town.

The last time the middle-aged man had seen the group was in a different era. On this day, he had come at the location over half a day before the show was scheduled to begin, convinced that he would be the first in line.

However he found himself confronted by the fact that a younger crowd – one that seemingly did not mind early hours or waiting – had become enamored with Radiohead's "sophisticated, complex, emotional" music. "It amazed me to find all these youth here," he said with a laugh. "What a nuisance, I thought I would be first in line because older people don't do such activities. But now I'm further back."

Following several performances in the Spanish capital, the group's series will travel to Bologna, London, the Danish city and the European nation, finishing on 12 December.