Radiohead performed a benefit concert this weekend for the earthquake victims of Haiti, which was able to generate over half a million dollars.
The concert featured a two-hour performance by the band on Sunday with some high-profile celebrities joining the crowd in a 1,300-seat venue, including Charlize Theron, Justin Timberlake and Daniel Craig.
Concert tickets were purchased through online bidding, with prices reaching as high as $4,000 for two tickets. The lowest bid was worth $475. Proceeds from the ticket sales will go to Oxfam International, an organisation that collaborates with developing countries.
Tickets were only available in pairs to encourage fans to look for bidding partners on the Internet.
Radiohead’s frontman Thom Yorke jokingly asked the crowd: “What did you do to get a ticket? Get money from your dad? Or blackmail your boss?”
Sales from limited-edition posters of the show also contributed to the funds, which were worth $25 each. Oxfam volunteers also collected cash donations at the entrance of the theatre.
Timberlake, who was seen singing along with the group’s songs in the general admission area, told The Associated Press: “I love them for the same reason everyone loves Radiohead . . . I have been listening to them since I was 13.”
Some fans also made the effort to see Radiohead perform. Shane Rivers of Sacramento said that he even drove seven hours to get to the concert venue at Henry Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles. “It was special to be in the room,” he said.
Rob Molt of San Diego said: “I was expecting to be the runt in a Hollywood crowd, but it was all real Radiohead fans.”
