The band met when they were pupils at Abingdon School, went on to be bestselling recording artists, and are about to embark on a major sell-out tour across Europe.

But before they hit the big time in the 1990s, one of its band members experienced some financial difficulties.

READ MORE: Calls to rethink Abingdon Reservoir

Bassist Mr Greenwood told The Sunday Times how he was working at Our Price in Oxford in the summer of 1991 when his bank manager called.

Later, at the Abingdon branch of NatWest, he was yelled at about his £800 overdraft, and asked his plans by the manager.

Radiohead’s Colin Greenwood in 2013 (Image: Oxford Mail)

When he told her he was waiting for his fellow band members to graduate so they could try to get a record deal, she gave him a “massive b*********”.

A few weeks later, Mr Greenwood told the Sunday Times, Radiohead signed a deal with EMI.

The guitarist went back to the Abingdon branch, bringing the band’s manager with him. The town’s branch closed permanently last month.

Mr Greenwood added: “He said ‘hello, I’m representing Mr Greenwood as he’s an EMI recording artist with a five-album deal and we’re here to close his account’.

“It is petty and pathetic but speaks to that self-confidence kids have because we didn’t know better.”

The guitarist added that over the years he had given away commemorative discs to handymen when he didn’t have any cash to hand.

“I slightly regret that, ” he added. ” I would have people over doing odd jobs and I’d give them the discs.

Thom Yorke fronting Radiohead (Image: Andrew Milligan/PA)

“‘Here’s a Creep platinum disc. Thank you for your troubles my good man.”

The guitarist has also played bass for Nick Cave. He and other members of the band gave separate interviews to Sunday Times journalist Jonathan Dean.

He said he was thrilled that for the first time on tour each member of the band will have separate dressing rooms.

The band will be performing in the round, in the middle of the arena floors.

They have done this only once before, opening for Ned’s Atomic Dustbin in Canada in 1993.

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Unlike this summer’s Oasis tour, Radiohead plan to play different setlists each night.

There are 65 tracks the band might play, and lead singer Thom Yorke, Ed O’Brien and Phil Selway and the ‘setlist committee’.

The tour starting next month includes dates at The O2 in London.

Radiohead played a ‘homecoming’ gig in South Park, Oxford in 2001 but have not played a big gig in the city since.

A multimedia exhibition featuring the artwork shown on the band’s album covers is running at the Ashmolean Museum and continues until January 11.