WATCH: Prince Covers “Creep” at Coachella 2008

There’s no telling how long this video will be online, so watch it now.
WATCH: Prince Covers “Creep” at Coachella 2008

There’s no telling how long this video will be online, so watch it now.

Words: FLOOD Staff

photo by Penner via Creative Commons

December 08, 2015

Prince at Coachella / photo by Penner via Creative Commons

Prince, a man who not only believes he can remove his existence from the Internet but also apparently has the power to do so, strode onto the stage at Coachella in 2008 for his headlining set and proceeded to play a half-dozen covers. Then he played a dozen or so of his own songs, then more covers.

One of those many covers was of Radiohead‘s “Creep,” the original version of which the band probably wishes Prince would wipe from the Internet, too. Somehow, nearly eight years later, video of that performance has surfaced, and you should watch it now while you have the chance. The band lays out that hollow chord progression for an eight-minute stretch, allowing The Purple One to turn Thom Yorke’s lyric about alienation into a cooing little ditty, then he fills all of that empty space with a trio of heavy-shred guitar solos. It’s a performance that’s long been legendary among Prince acolytes, and it’s not hard to hear why.

While Prince seems to be feeling benevolent today, tweeting his approval of the clip from the account of his current backing band, 3RDEYEGIRL, NME reports that the video had been removed, only for Thom Yorke to demand that it be put back up. “Well, tell him to unblock it. It’s our … song,” Yorke reportedly said. The whole episode goes to show you just how powerful Yorke and Prince are: the Radiohead frontman got Prince to put his music online, while Prince made Thom Yorke proud of “Creep.” Harness those powers for further good, gentlemen.

You can—and should—watch Prince perform “Creep” below right now, just in case Prince changes his mind.

(via NME)