Radiohead’s Thom Yorke shares most important piece of advice given to him by R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe
Thom Yorke has described advice from R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe that helped him cope with fame: “If you don’t care, they don’t care. If you’re not looking, they’re not looking.” Yorke said it encouraged him to stop hiding in dressing rooms and try going out in public, where he found people left them alone. The story matters as an example of how the musicians’ long friendship helped Yorke manage the pressures of Radiohead’s success.
The advice dates to Radiohead’s 1995 tour with R.E.M., when Stipe took Yorke to a busy club in Stockholm to test it. The pair’s friendship has lasted for more than three decades, and Stipe has acknowledged that his experience with fame helped Yorke. He also advised Yorke during the strain following “OK Computer”; Yorke later said that counsel inspired the refrain of Radiohead’s “How to Disappear Completely”, released on 2000’s *Kid A*.
- Stipe urged Yorke to stop hiding from public attention.
- Yorke tested the advice with him at a Stockholm club.
- Their conversations also helped shape a song on *Kid A*.
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Radiohead is a British rock band that became hugely successful in the 1990s, led by singer Thom Yorke, whilst R.E.M. was an American rock group fronted by Michael Stipe. Both musicians experienced the challenges that come with fame, particularly the loss of privacy and constant public attention.
Stipe shared simple advice with Yorke during their long friendship: if you act as though you do not care about being recognised, other people will tend to leave you alone. Yorke had previously avoided going out in public because he was anxious about his fame, but Stipe encouraged him to test this by going to a busy club in Stockholm together, which convinced Yorke it worked.
The two musicians have maintained their friendship for more than three decades, with Stipe offering support to Yorke during difficult periods. His guidance during a particularly hard time following the album "OK Computer" later influenced "How to Disappear Completely", released in 2000.