“Dude, it’s Peter.”And indeed it is. Peter Buck has just walked right past the queue and in through the stage door. His hair is greying; he’s wearing a black jacket and black jeans and a very large gold earring. It’s almost a safe bet that this line of people is the first group to actually notice him. Justin Timberlake is also performing tonight, a few short miles away. You can bet he didn’t just walk past the queue.This says a lot about REM fans, that a principle member of a band for whom their admiration generally ranges from the passionate to the obsessed can simply make the short stroll from the hotel (presumed by most to be Dublin’s Clarence Hotel, co-owned by Bono and The Edge, who Michael Stipe later reveals to be in the audience) with only an awed whisper to mark their appearance. There’s a level of respect there, and when touring drummer Bill Rieflin walks past a few minutes later, even fewer note his arrival. Still, the crowd is on full alert for an appearance by Mike and Michael.This is the first night of REM’s five-night working rehearsal at Dublin’s Olympia Theatre. The band has gone to great pains to remind people that it’s a rehearsal, and therefore not actually a show. They have even projected the words ‘This Is Not A Show’ on the backdrop, and Michael Stipe says so every couple of songs. It’s clear from the outset that this is an event aimed at the hardcore REM fan – tickets were released at very short notice and initially only through the fan club, any that became available after that were through the band’s website or a physical appearance at the box office only. Even support act David Kitt, an affable local troubadour confesses to dedicated fandom. The devotion is also clear in the t-shirts: it seems that the more obscure the show memorialised on your torso, the better. There are faded relics of the ‘Green’ tour, Glastonbury shirts from the year REM headlined, shirts from the ‘Monster’ tour with the now iconic image of Stipe’s head rested on his folded arms (much like the stretched, faded, cement-stained garment in a bag under my bed, or the one worn by Adam Duritz in the liner note photos for Counting Crows’ ‘Recovering The Satellites’, if you’re keeping track) and right up to the most recent ‘Around The Sun’ tour shirts. If we’re voting for the coolest, I’m for the guy in the ‘Bingo Hand Job’ shirt, from one of the infamous ‘secret’ shows a couple of years back.When the band finally come out, it’s pandemonium. They look like classic REM – Michael Stipe is the bald eccentric, though is traditional lyrics crib sheet has been replaced by a laptop; Peter Buck is enthusiastic to the point of mania and Mike Mills seems as relaxed as it is possible to be, under the circumstances. They launch straight into a new song – incidentally, Bertis Downs, manager and advisor to the band told me afterwards that they’re not releasing a set list – before Michael introduces the band, and the guests, including Bono, The Edge and the entire staff from their Athens, Georgia office.Michael as always is funny, self-deprecating and as shy as a frontman can be. He laughs and jokes between songs, sometimes difficult to hear because he’s mumbling (or because of the girls screaming ‘We love you, REM!), and goes to great pains to apologise for his self-perceived lack of professionalism, even mocking his own dress sense. “I would never normally be caught dead wearing trainers on stage” he jokes. “But I can relax – this is just a rehearsal.”He explains the format of the show – mostly it will showcase new songs, but there are also a few old ones they want to play. He goes on to reveal that some songs haven’t been performed live since 1984. He reminisces about gigs he’s seen in this venue – particularly The Waterboys – and gets some laughs by describing the graffiti on the urinals. The show seems to be a lot of fun for all involved. Peter Buck bounces – sometimes literally between Bill Rieflin, Mike Mills and second guitarist Scott McCaughey (a long-time collaborator of Buck’s with bands like The Minus 5 and Robyn Hitchcock and The Venus 3), and there are numerous smart-aleck comments and in-jokes, some barely heard, passed across the stage. “It was fun and it wasn’t,” said Mike Mills afterwards. “It was work, you know? But it was good to be up there.” Michael Stipe commented that “Mike told me backstage that he didn’t have fun up there, but he experienced joy.”The set list tonight is for connoisseurs of the band – anyone who bought tickets hoping for radio hits like ‘Losing My Religion’, ‘Everybody Hurts’ or ‘What’s The Frequency, Kenneth?’ will have been disappointed. The old songs we heard were an eclectic retrospective of band favourites: ‘Second Guessing’, ‘Letter Never Sent’, ‘1,000,000’, ‘These Days’, an energetic rendition of ‘Maps & Legends’, ‘Little America’ rounded out the older songs while newer songs ‘New Test Leper’, ‘Electrolite’ (which developed into a reverential sing-along) and brand new (though performed on the ‘Around The Sun’ tour) song ‘I’m Gonna DJ’ closed out the set. But it was the new, unheard stuff that we really came to hear.Despite their reluctance to release the titles of the songs, what appeared to be a temporary list appeared on the back of some of the t-shirts, including notes in brackets. For your consideration, here it is:1. (F-Sharp) Horse To Water2. I’m Gonna DJ3. (Fast One In B) Living Well Is The Best Revenge4. (New Loud Compass Point) Tomorrow5. (Delay Without Delay) Staring Down The Barrel of The Middle Distance6. On The Fly7. (Black Sky) Until The Day Is Done8. (Mikes Open E) Mr. Richards9. 12-8 Edit10. Fotoshoof11. Peter’s Open EThe new songs performed were exceptionally raw, and to my ears sound all the better for it. There’s none of the electronica or effects that permeated ‘Up’ or ‘Reveal’ or ‘Around The Sun’ Lyrically the songs are reminiscent of ‘Fables of the Reconstruction’ while the simple, stripped-down guitar/bass/drums/vocals sound is everything that was right about side 2 of ‘Monster’. There are two slightly acoustic sounding songs, one of which could easily have been on ‘Out of Time’. It’s not easy to tell which song is which from the above list, as a) some titles are most definitely temporary and b) the lyrics don’t necessarily match the titles. I can deduce that ‘Peter’s Open E’ was most likely one of the more acoustic ones, as it was credited as being Peter’s favourite, and as having a title from scripture that was considered for use for a different song. ‘Staring Down The Barrel…’ is one of the heavier ones, as is ‘Horse to Water’. Most people I talked to afterwards said that, based on what they’ve heard so far their expectations are for the new album to sound like ‘New Adventures in Hi-Fi’, though at the very least it seems that a more ‘rock’ sound than the last two albums is expected. The triumphant return of Mike Mills’ vocal harmonies was universally praised. “It was a great show. The new songs really hold up,” said Bertis Downs after the show. Mike Mills was similarly pleased, though he admitted “Right now it comes and goes. There’s still a lot to be done.” But maybe Michael Stipe said it best, at the beginning of the show: “We’re REM. This is what we do.” There are a bunch of great videos here:http://remdublin.com/blog/ethank/2007/07/01/some-videos-were-posted-murmursAnd here are a couple more, but check out those others first as the quality is better.More from Dublin:Post Script: Many, many thanks to Michael Goldberg and all at MOG and Bertis Downs, Mercer Brockenbrough and all at REM HQ for their help with this piece (and especially for getting me there in the first place.)
gem1001 says
I took those youtube (http://remdublin.com/blog/ethank/2007/07/01/some-videos-were-posted-murmurs) videos - glad you liked them. It was a great show - wish I was at more than one of them. Great review too. Thanks
The Serenity Vortex says
Top review of the gig. I love REM (apart from Shiny Happy People - PTD!!!). I really should get out of my studio and go to a gig at some point. It's been waaaay to long. Thanks for sharing John :)
Jonh Ingham says
I've never liked REM except for 2 songs, then I saw them at Live8 and completely changed my view. This is one of the best reviews I've read and it's very good to see a band do this kind of thing. From the videos I can appreciate that for a trufan it must have been like a rehearsal for life in Heaven. Looking forward to your next one.
fairportfan says
I've said it before and i'll say it again - i've never managed to be impressed with REM, since i remember them from when they were more or less a house band at clubs in the Atlanta/Athens area, and i know the guy who first recorded them (well, i know his business partner better).
(And, of course, i can only think of about three REM songs i like.)
I guess people who used to hang out at the Cavern Club felt the same way about the Beatles.
OTOH, REM were responsible for Jason & the Scorchers getting label attention, so that's in their favour.
( I wish i still had those two copies of *Pete Buck Comics*, though...)
John Madden says
Thanks to all who've commented so far - you have all been very complimentary, and probably far too kind.
I do feel the sudden need to respond to a part of fairportfan's comment, though:
"I’ve never managed to be impressed with REM, since I remember them from when they were more or less a house band at clubs in the Atlanta/Athens area"
I don't think you're alone. It's amazing how many lauded bands are remembered by those who knew them way-back-when as *not* being the best band on their particular scene. I've spoken to people from Brooklyn and from Minnesota who remember the Hold Steady as - and I quote - "an only okay-ish bar band". I'm sure there are people from the University of Washington who wonder why Death Cab for Cutie are so big when (insert name of another UW band of the same era) where so much better. In fact I'm sure this is the same for any band.
I'm a huge REM fan (could you tell?), and this comment isn't going to change that. You've piqued my curiosity, though, and now I have to go find some Jason & The Scorchers...
joebrownuk says
gr8 reviewer! im a huge fan of REM. I wish I got to see this gig!!!! But hopefully when they next perform in maybe a few years, i'll be able to get tickets! :)
“Dude, it’s Peter.”And indeed it is. Peter Buck has just walked right past the queue and in through the stage door. His hair is greying; he’s wearing a black jacket and black jeans and a very large gold earring. It’s almost a safe bet that this line of people is the first group to actually notice him. Justin Timberlake is also performing tonight, a few short miles away. You can bet he didn’t just walk past the queue.This says a lot about REM fans, that a principle member of a band for whom their admiration generally ranges from the passionate to the obsessed can simply make the short stroll from the hotel (presumed by most to be Dublin’s Clarence Hotel, co-owned by Bono and The Edge, who Michael Stipe later reveals to be in the audience) with only an awed whisper to mark their appearance. There’s a level of respect there, and when touring drummer Bill Rieflin walks past a few minutes later, even fewer note his arrival. Still, the crowd is on full alert for an appearance by Mike and Michael.This is the first night of REM’s five-night working rehearsal at Dublin’s Olympia Theatre. The band has gone to great pains to remind people that it’s a rehearsal, and therefore not actually a show. They have even projected the words ‘This Is Not A Show’ on the backdrop, and Michael Stipe says so every couple of songs. It’s clear from the outset that this is an event aimed at the hardcore REM fan – tickets were released at very short notice and initially only through the fan club, any that became available after that were through the band’s website or a physical appearance at the box office only. Even support act David Kitt, an affable local troubadour confesses to dedicated fandom. The devotion is also clear in the t-shirts: it seems that the more obscure the show memorialised on your torso, the better. There are faded relics of the ‘Green’ tour, Glastonbury shirts from the year REM headlined, shirts from the ‘Monster’ tour with the now iconic image of Stipe’s head rested on his folded arms (much like the stretched, faded, cement-stained garment in a bag under my bed, or the one worn by Adam Duritz in the liner note photos for Counting Crows’ ‘Recovering The Satellites’, if you’re keeping track) and right up to the most recent ‘Around The Sun’ tour shirts. If we’re voting for the coolest, I’m for the guy in the ‘Bingo Hand Job’ shirt, from one of the infamous ‘secret’ shows a couple of years back.When the band finally come out, it’s pandemonium. They look like classic REM – Michael Stipe is the bald eccentric, though is traditional lyrics crib sheet has been replaced by a laptop; Peter Buck is enthusiastic to the point of mania and Mike Mills seems as relaxed as it is possible to be, under the circumstances. They launch straight into a new song – incidentally, Bertis Downs, manager and advisor to the band told me afterwards that they’re not releasing a set list – before Michael introduces the band, and the guests, including Bono, The Edge and the entire staff from their Athens, Georgia office.Michael as always is funny, self-deprecating and as shy as a frontman can be. He laughs and jokes between songs, sometimes difficult to hear because he’s mumbling (or because of the girls screaming ‘We love you, REM!), and goes to great pains to apologise for his self-perceived lack of professionalism, even mocking his own dress sense. “I would never normally be caught dead wearing trainers on stage” he jokes. “But I can relax – this is just a rehearsal.”He explains the format of the show – mostly it will showcase new songs, but there are also a few old ones they want to play. He goes on to reveal that some songs haven’t been performed live since 1984. He reminisces about gigs he’s seen in this venue – particularly The Waterboys – and gets some laughs by describing the graffiti on the urinals. The show seems to be a lot of fun for all involved. Peter Buck bounces – sometimes literally between Bill Rieflin, Mike Mills and second guitarist Scott McCaughey (a long-time collaborator of Buck’s with bands like The Minus 5 and Robyn Hitchcock and The Venus 3), and there are numerous smart-aleck comments and in-jokes, some barely heard, passed across the stage. “It was fun and it wasn’t,” said Mike Mills afterwards. “It was work, you know? But it was good to be up there.” Michael Stipe commented that “Mike told me backstage that he didn’t have fun up there, but he experienced joy.”The set list tonight is for connoisseurs of the band – anyone who bought tickets hoping for radio hits like ‘Losing My Religion’, ‘Everybody Hurts’ or ‘What’s The Frequency, Kenneth?’ will have been disappointed. The old songs we heard were an eclectic retrospective of band favourites: ‘Second Guessing’, ‘Letter Never Sent’, ‘1,000,000’, ‘These Days’, an energetic rendition of ‘Maps & Legends’, ‘Little America’ rounded out the older songs while newer songs ‘New Test Leper’, ‘Electrolite’ (which developed into a reverential sing-along) and brand new (though performed on the ‘Around The Sun’ tour) song ‘I’m Gonna DJ’ closed out the set. But it was the new, unheard stuff that we really came to hear.Despite their reluctance to release the titles of the songs, what appeared to be a temporary list appeared on the back of some of the t-shirts, including notes in brackets. For your consideration, here it is:1. (F-Sharp) Horse To Water2. I’m Gonna DJ3. (Fast One In B) Living Well Is The Best Revenge4. (New Loud Compass Point) Tomorrow5. (Delay Without Delay) Staring Down The Barrel of The Middle Distance6. On The Fly7. (Black Sky) Until The Day Is Done8. (Mikes Open E) Mr. Richards9. 12-8 Edit10. Fotoshoof11. Peter’s Open EThe new songs performed were exceptionally raw, and to my ears sound all the better for it. There’s none of the electronica or effects that permeated ‘Up’ or ‘Reveal’ or ‘Around The Sun’ Lyrically the songs are reminiscent of ‘Fables of the Reconstruction’ while the simple, stripped-down guitar/bass/drums/vocals sound is everything that was right about side 2 of ‘Monster’. There are two slightly acoustic sounding songs, one of which could easily have been on ‘Out of Time’. It’s not easy to tell which song is which from the above list, as a) some titles are most definitely temporary and b) the lyrics don’t necessarily match the titles. I can deduce that ‘Peter’s Open E’ was most likely one of the more acoustic ones, as it was credited as being Peter’s favourite, and as having a title from scripture that was considered for use for a different song. ‘Staring Down The Barrel…’ is one of the heavier ones, as is ‘Horse to Water’. Most people I talked to afterwards said that, based on what they’ve heard so far their expectations are for the new album to sound like ‘New Adventures in Hi-Fi’, though at the very least it seems that a more ‘rock’ sound than the last two albums is expected. The triumphant return of Mike Mills’ vocal harmonies was universally praised. “It was a great show. The new songs really hold up,” said Bertis Downs after the show. Mike Mills was similarly pleased, though he admitted “Right now it comes and goes. There’s still a lot to be done.” But maybe Michael Stipe said it best, at the beginning of the show: “We’re REM. This is what we do.” There are a bunch of great videos here:http://remdublin.com/blog/ethank/2007/07/01/some-videos-were-posted-murmursAnd here are a couple more, but check out those others first as the quality is better.More from Dublin:Post Script: Many, many thanks to Michael Goldberg and all at MOG and Bertis Downs, Mercer Brockenbrough and all at REM HQ for their help with this piece (and especially for getting me there in the first place.)
Comments (12)