On a crisp September morning in 1995, the British music scene witnessed a remarkable act of solidarity and creativity. Major bands—Radiohead, Blur, Oasis, Suede, and Manic Street Preachers—gathered in studios across the United Kingdom, each tasked with recording a one-off song in a single day. The goal? To produce The Help Album, a charity compilation aimed at raising funds for War Child, a humanitarian organization dedicated to supporting children caught in the crossfire of conflict, particularly those suffering from the devastation of the Bosnian War, which had raged from 1992 to 1995.
The project’s organizers drew inspiration from John Lennon’s idealistic vision for rapid music production. Lennon once described the perfect timeline for a record: “The best record you can make is recorded on a Monday, cut on Tuesday, pressed up on Wednesday, packaged on a Thursday, distributed on Friday, in the shops on Saturday.” According to Louder, this tight schedule was faithfully followed, infusing the effort with urgency and purpose. The result was a collection of songs that, within a week, found their way onto the shelves of record shops across Britain.
The Help Album was an instant success, raising £1.25 million for War Child. Its impact was felt far beyond the music charts, as the funds provided critical emergency support to tens of thousands of children trapped in combat zones. The project’s legacy was so powerful that, a decade later, War Child decided to revisit the idea, this time with an ambitious digital twist.
In 2005, War Child launched Help: A Day in the Life, aiming to make the album available for purchase just one day after the songs were recorded. The new project boasted an equally impressive lineup, with Radiohead and Manic Street Preachers returning, joined by Gorillaz, Bloc Party, Kaiser Chiefs, Damien Rice, Babyshambles, and more. As The Guardian reported, the process highlighted a leap into the digital age: bands recorded their tracks between tour dates scattered across the globe, then dispatched the songs over the internet to Whitfield Street studios in London.
Radiohead’s contribution, "I Want None Of This," was recorded at noon on Thursday, September 8, 2005, at Whitfield Street. Meanwhile, Damon Albarn canceled a flight to China so Gorillaz could record their track, "Hong Kong." Kaiser Chiefs squeezed in a cover of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" during a brief stop in Berlin. Damien Rice paused work on his second album in Dublin, Belle & Sebastian sent in their track from Glasgow, and Manic Street Preachers delivered their song from a studio in Wales. The digital revolution was in full swing; gone were the days of private jets ferrying tapes, replaced by server uploads and frantic, round-the-clock mixing.
Coldplay joined the project at the last minute, with Chris Martin recording new vocals and lyrics for "How You See The World No. 2" in New York. Mark Stent, the album’s executive producer, mixed the track at 4 a.m. before sending it back to Martin for approval. "It’s been very crazy," Stent told The Guardian. "You can take tracks digitally and put them on to servers, which means songs are coming in from all over the world. Ten years ago it was planes and couriers—PolyGram had a private jet sitting at RAF Northolt."
By 6 p.m. UK time on Friday, September 9, 2005, the album was available for download from the War Child website. The following week, it debuted at number 10 on the UK charts—a testament to both the enduring appeal of the artists involved and the public’s appetite for music with a purpose. As Patrick Barkham of The Guardian observed, the project not only harnessed the power of star musicians but also showcased the revolutionary possibilities of digital collaboration.
Fast forward to 2025, and Radiohead is once again making headlines. Last week, the band announced their first live dates in seven years, a series of European residencies scheduled for later this year. The news has sent waves of excitement through their fanbase, with many wondering what songs will make it into the setlists after such a long hiatus.
In a recent interview on the Adam Buxton Podcast, bassist Colin Greenwood shed light on the band's approach. "Oh, I think it’s going to be a mixed set," Greenwood said. "I think we’ve like whittled it down to about 70 songs. And me and my brother (guitarist Jonny Greenwood) are not on the setlist committee, we’re not allowed, because we’re too indecisive." He continued, "So we’ll play anything in any order, at any time. We sort of take a busking attitude to the Radiohead setlist." Greenwood also hinted that rehearsals might yield new material: "It’s going to be the first time I think we’ve done shows where we haven’t got new material to play as work in progress. But you never know, some stuff might come up or not or whatever, so."
Tickets for the five residency shows go on sale this Friday, September 12, 2025, but there’s a catch: fans must have registered in advance on Radiohead’s website. The process is designed to be fair and accessible, with each buyer limited to a maximum of four tickets. Priority seating will be given to fans living near the shows, though allocations are also set aside for those traveling within Europe and from abroad. "Our aim is to distribute tickets according to demand in a fair and geographically convenient way," the band said in a statement.
Radiohead has also committed to supporting the wider music community through their ticketing policy. UK ticket prices will include a £1 levy to benefit the Music Live Trust’s initiative for grassroots venues. For the European dates, €1 per ticket will be donated to Médecins Sans Frontières, with the band pledging to match the total funds raised. It’s a move that echoes their longstanding commitment to social causes, dating back to their involvement with War Child two decades ago.
As anticipation builds for the upcoming residencies, Radiohead’s history of innovation—both musically and philanthropically—continues to define their legacy. From their whirlwind recording sessions for charity to their forward-thinking approach to live performances and ticketing, the band remains at the forefront of a changing industry. Fans and observers alike are left wondering: what surprises might the next chapter hold?
For now, the spirit of collaboration, creativity, and compassion that marked Radiohead’s past projects seems set to shape their future, ensuring their music and their message resonate far beyond the stage.
