84 replies to this topic

[remboy]

I was lucky enough to get back stage in the Scandinavian shows on the 08 tour and could tell the atmosphere between the band was not great.   They seemed to be sick of the sight of each other but I just put it down end out tour fatigue. Someone closer to the band than me confirmed that there had been a few rows that week.  One member of the band was apparently not a pleasant chap to be around most of that tour.

I just think they got to the state where none of them actually need the hassle anymore.   I am sure they all still love performing live and making music but with the baggage of their previous recordings it seems that no matter what they did in the future as REM would receive a lukewarm response by the general public.   Dwindling albums sales can be explained by an industry down turn but poor ticket sales cant.  

The above mentioned rescheduled Stockholm show did not even sell out.   I think the writing was on the wall and they were smart enough to read it.  

I am glad they would not go on and on for purely financial reasons whilst turning into a live jukebox band like The Rolling Stones.  

I am pretty sure as time goes by, we will out that it was not a happy a split as we are led to believe.

[Sweden]

Blackbirds Backwards, on 28 September 2011 - 10:54 AM, said:

Cool!  Where are those photo's from?

Some celeb thing in NYC. Google Stipe, Mills, Batali and Edge and you'll find it.

[Sweden]

lightaugust74, on 28 September 2011 - 11:38 AM, said:

"the most un-R.E.M.-like act of their career"?  I dunno, I kind of saw it as one of the most R.E.M.-ish things to do... We all know they could have milked this for millions by advertising a farewell tour and they would have filled arenas again with everyone who had 'The One I Love' as their prom theme and it would have stretched on for a year and blah blah blah... A few of us would have liked it as 'saying our goodbyes' and whatnot, but it would've been tawdry.  Instead, they went out on their last tour, in which longtime fans were given night after night of underrated classics (I mean, tell me you thought in 1994 you thought you'd ever have heard 'West of the Fields' again live), and then went out on a great album.   Going out on top is a difficult, yet wise thing to do.  If you're here, I sense you knew REM was that wise from the word go.  Let it be.

Well said. This exit has been very R.E.M. in ny book.
R.E.M. themselves also never cared much for nostalgia.

[fanfan]

remboy, on 28 September 2011 - 11:46 AM, said:

I was lucky enough to get back stage in the Scandinavian shows on the 08 tour and could tell the atmosphere between the band was not great.   They seemed to be sick of the sight of each other but I just put it down end out tour fatigue. Someone closer to the band than me confirmed that there had been a few rows that week.  One member of the band was apparently not a pleasant chap to be around most of that tour.

That's sad to hear. I'm pretty sure this member wasn't Mike Mills. If there was the tension you describe, it made for some great live shows during that tour. Anyway, sad if it was true.

[country feedback]

Colinzeal, on 28 September 2011 - 07:00 AM, said:

It must have been the Accelerate tour.

They had to move a gig from millennium stadium to Cardiff international arena in 2008. Felt gutted at time cos they couldn't sell out massive venues but loved concert and was hoping they'd always play CIA in Cardiff as more intimate. Can't believe they not touring agai..sigh

[patternshirt170]

country feedback, on 28 September 2011 - 02:47 PM, said:

They had to move a gig from millennium stadium to Cardiff international arena in 2008. Felt gutted at time cos they couldn't sell out massive venues but loved concert and was hoping they'd always play CIA in Cardiff as more intimate. Can't believe they not touring agai..sigh

...didn't they also play the half stadium setup in 2005 there, I remember seeing the "map" as a drop down on Ticketmaster UK's site back then. Yeah, I thought the UK/Eire dates in 2008 were a little short and sweet, just the festival dates in Scotland and Eire, infact a lot of focus on festivals across Europe...

I saw them at Madison Square Garden on that tour and thought it was good, although I thought some of the 1999-2004 material suffered a bit in depth due to lack of the Stringfellow keys and efx which made up a great portion of that phase, still, LMR sounded great again sans that bloody synth string wash it didn't need... and the IRS material and Accelerate tunes were great... however the 2003 dates I saw there and near Boston probably are still my two personal high points..

[BarteredLantern]

based on what remboy wrote and the pics above of Mills and Stipe recently partying, I'm guessing their might be some sort of riff between Buck and Mills/Stipe.  Perhaps their relationships haven't been good for a long time, but out of respect to the memory of the band they decided to finish up the contract and call it a day.

that's one theory, and another is maybe it's a mid life crisis sort of thing.  i've seen relationships in my family suffer when at that mid life age, people realize they aren't the same person and don't want to spend the rest of their life in something that meant something to them when they were younger.  if so, that's a sad reason but unfortunately far too common nowadays.

either way, it's obvious they have grown apart and changed, perhaps for the better or maybe for the worse.  Buck seems like the only one really driven for music anymore.  Mills talks about a solo album but he's had all the time and resources to release a few of those of if he wanted.  But I'm also not saying Buck isn't at fault either.  Even though I love his purity for music, he does seem like he could be hard to get along with and perhaps more of a lush than the rest.  Just my opinion, i could be off base on that.  when I read remboy's account though i immediately thought of Buck.

All we know is that REM is over, there's probably a lot more than meets the eye but we probably won't know that until a few years from now.

I think in all likeliness this was probably for the best, just like a marriage where the two change for the worse and aren't the same people, perhaps its best to remember it when it was a good thing.  I just wish it was handled better.  When Bill left the band, it felt right and i was really happy he was headed for greener pastures.  But this this feels a bit odd, but I'm sure in time it will make more sense.

[wagtail]

REMHQ only has a Mayan calendar?

[haggis]

Perhaps we're lucky to have had them as long as we did.  Reading the Rolling Stone break up article I linked to the RS Best Band in the World article from 1987 which has them saying things like they were sure it wouldn't go on indefinitely and Stipe saying he wasn't even sure he'd be in the music business in 10 years time!

http://www.rollingst...20110921?page=4

[wagtail]

from the article that Haggis linked to:

Quote

"And at the end, Stipe and Buck stand side by side at center stage for an exquisite slow version of "So. Central Rain," which ends with Stipe tossing in a few revealing lines from Peter Gabriel's "Red Rain": "I come to you, defenses down, with the trust of a child."

Does anyone have a bootleg of this?  Or can you direct me to a link/youtube?  I'd be interested to hear it.

[haggis]

wagtail, on 28 September 2011 - 08:58 PM, said:

from the article that Haggis linked to:



Does anyone have a bootleg of this?  Or can you direct me to a link/youtube?  I'd be interested to hear it.

There's a Time after Time/ So. Central Rain /Red Rain live medley on "In The Attic"....it's probably similar to what they're talking about in the article.  I don't have the CD handy so can't check what date this was from but I'm sure someone will be along in a minute to advise.

[Lori]

wagtail, on 28 September 2011 - 08:58 PM, said:

from the article that Haggis linked to:



Does anyone have a bootleg of this?  Or can you direct me to a link/youtube?  I'd be interested to hear it.

Rebekah I have an mp3 of this.  I can send it tonight if you don't get it  from someone before hand.  Just checking in now before my kids take over after school.

[wagtail]

Lori, on 28 September 2011 - 10:14 PM, said:

Rebekah I have an mp3 of this.  I can send it tonight if you don't get it  from someone before hand.  Just checking in now before my kids take over after school.

That'd be great Lori, thanks heaps.

[fredrik]

haggis, on 28 September 2011 - 09:27 PM, said:

There's a Time after Time/ So. Central Rain /Red Rain live medley on "In The Attic"....it's probably similar to what they're talking about in the article.  I don't have the CD handy so can't check what date this was from but I'm sure someone will be along in a minute to advise.

Also on Singles Collected and Document "vintage" re-release. Originally a b-side from Finest Worksong 12". Recorded in Utrecht, Holland, 9.14.87.

[Sweden]

And here it is on Youtube:

[Pete B]

Back to the bands relationships i have worked with the same people now for 14 years and were pretty good friends and we have had some rows over the years and most of them when were working on a job onsite for a couple months. So tour tensions are going to happen and tensions in the studio are going to happen more so when u have 3 very different people with different ideas working together wanting the best record possible. I'm sure after a tour or an album they need to get away from each other for a bit but i belive them when they say there still friends 31 years together suggests that. 31 years 15 albums as much as i personally wish they would carry on i can understand why they haven't.

[wagtail]

Sweden, on 29 September 2011 - 01:46 AM, said:

And here it is on Youtube:

thanks.

that was awesome.  I love that sparseness.

[Lori]

wagtail, on 28 September 2011 - 10:45 PM, said:

That'd be great Lori, thanks heaps.

I just re-read this thread, sorry Rebekah, I thought it was about Red Rain with Michael, Natalie Merchant & Peter Gabrielle, I've sent you that one, not sure if you have it already.  I also have on disc Time after Time/So. Central Rain like in the video David posted.  I can send that one as well.  Hope you still have the same e-mail address.

[wagtail]

Lori, on 29 September 2011 - 03:47 AM, said:

I just re-read this thread, sorry Rebekah, I thought it was about Red Rain with Michael, Natalie Merchant & Peter Gabrielle, I've sent you that one, not sure if you have it already.  I also have on disc Time after Time/So. Central Rain like in the video David posted.  I can send that one as well.  Hope you still have the same e-mail address.

Yep, I still have the same email, thanks so much for sending that, Lori.  It's okay about the other one, I was just curious to hear the way it was sung and merged with the others.

[Lori]

wagtail, on 29 September 2011 - 04:06 AM, said:

Yep, I still have the same email, thanks so much for sending that, Lori.  It's okay about the other one, I was just curious to hear the way it was sung and merged with the others.

No problem.