5 April
1980 - St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, Athens, GA Support: The Side Effects Supporting: The $windle$ Possible set: Set 1: I Can’t Control Myself / God Save The Queen / Narrator / Baby I / Action / Needles And Pins / Hippy Hippy Shake / There She Goes Again / All The Right Friends / Shakin’ All Over / Secret Agent Man / A Girl Like You / Permanent Vacation / I Can Only Give You Everything / Dangerous Times / Different Girl / Mystery To Me / (I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone / Lisa Says / Nervous Breakdown / Schéhérazade Set 2: Honky Tonk Women / One Nation Under A Groove / Roadrunner / California Sun / Gloria Notes: First ever R.E.M. performance. According to the band they thought about using ‘Twisted Kites’ as a band name, but they decided to perform without one. Song order is not known (although ‘I Can’t Control Myself’ and ‘God Save The Queen’ have been acknowledged to be the first two songs played). - R.E.M. Timeline
I recalled the Fanclub 20th Anniversary newsletter from the year 2000. If I remember right, this was the first fanclub newsletter I got when I joined after the release of Up.
13-14 May
1983 - Paradise Gardens, Summerville, GA
(R.E.M. Timeline) Notes: Filming ‘Radio Free Europe’ music video, with Howard Finster, directed by Arthur Pierson.
June 10
1985 - 40 years ago on this day R.E.M. released their third studio album Fables of The Reconstruction. The sessions took place at Livingston Studios in London with producer Joe Boyd.
I love this acoustic performance of “Driver 8” the second single from the album, which I believe is from a earlier live performance July 1984 (I.R.S. Records "The Cutting Edge)
30 years ago today I saw R.E.M. for the first time, at Murrayfield in Edinburgh. Loved it, and also became a fan of Belly (who I’ll be seeing later this year) and Spearhead who were supporting. I was lucky enough to see the band another 9 times and, truth be told, this one was the least memorable. But still great. The only time I saw them with Bill Berry, too.
From the timeline:
27 July 1995 - Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh, Scotland
support: Belly, Spearhead, The Cranberries
soundcheck: Talk About The Passion (part) (Instrumental) / Orange Crush (Instrumental) / Unknown Instrumental / See No Evil
set: What’s The Frequency, Kenneth? / Crush With Eyeliner / Drive / Turn You Inside-Out / Try Not To Breathe / I Took Your Name / Undertow / Bang And Blame / I Don’t Sleep, I Dream / Strange Currencies / Revolution / Tongue / Man On The Moon / Country Feedback / Half A World Away / Losing My Religion / Pop Song 89 / Finest Worksong / Get Up / Star 69
encore: Let Me In / Everybody Hurts / So. Central Rain (I’m Sorry) / Departure / It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
notes: Unconfirmed setlist - it seems the show being circulated claiming it is this show is from a different show.
“Rockville” was released as a single this week in 1984 which reminds me of this Diffuser article from a few years ago about them helping to kickstart the alt.country movement with Reckoning. Along with the jangle there was definitely also some twang in those early records. When I saw them in concert for the first time during the Pageantry tour in 1986 the house music before they came on was George Jones.
“Fall on Me” was released as the first single from Lifes Rich Pageant this week in 1986. It was the first single (12” or otherwise) I purchased by R.E.M.
Chronic Town was released on this day in 1982 but I honestly had no idea who R.E.M. was at the time. That would change the following year when I heard “Laughing” from Murmur on WQDR, an album rock station out of Raleigh, NC. QDR was also the first I ever heard anything from Chronic Town. This was sometime after the release of Murmur when they were guests on East Coast Live hosted by Allan Handelman. I recorded the show on cassette but accidentally erased over it. Even Allan doesn’t have a copy of it, at least as it originally aired. What he does have is a copy of the band answering his questions but not the questions themselves. He interviewed them live on the air with him in Raleigh and the band was somewhere on the road after a show. He is working on digitizing for all to hear but it is not available yet.
If memory serves, I purchased my copy of Chronic Town shortly after the release of Reckoning (which I also purchased that day) at The Sound Shop at Vernon Park Mall in Kinston, NC. I was 21 at the time.
14 years ago today. It still leaves a bit of a sting but reflecting upon it now I’ve come to even more deeply appreciate the example they set as a band, particularly from a business standpoint. Also, the example they’ve set in the post-R.E.M. era in how they’ve conducted themselves. It seems to be quite rare in this business.
23rd September
2008 - - Olympiahalle, Munich, Germany Support: We Are Scientists set: Living Well Is The Best Revenge / What’s The Frequency, Kenneth? / So Fast, So Numb / I Took Your Name / Drive / Man-Sized Wreath / Ignoreland / Just A Touch / So. Central Rain (I’m Sorry) / Hollow Man / The Great Beyond / Time After Time (Annelise) / She Just Wants To Be / Horse To Water / The One I Love / Electrolite / I’ve Been High / Let Me In / Walk Unafraid / Bad Day / Orange Crush / Imitation Of Life Encore: Supernatural Superserious / Losing My Religion / Country Feedback / It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) / Man On The Moon (R.E.M. Timeline)
Also, from the Olympia Park Munich Web page - “The three Southerners with a 30-year rock history and a string of hits under their belt sauntered along the road around the Olympic Hall. Slightly reserved, or perhaps just lost in concentration, they entered the room where the immortalization ceremony takes place . They greeted the MOWOS Team with a friendly handshake and then everything ran according to plan. Only Michael Stipe offered any kind of surprise when he asked his manager to help press his hands further into the cement. Perhaps his visit to the Oktoberfest the day before had sapped his strength?
The MOWOS Team also presented Stipe and his colleagues Peter Buck and Mike Mills with a large gingerbread heart from the Oktoberfest. Once on stage in the Olympic Hall, there was no further sign of a reserved attitude – Michael Stipe whirled like a Dervish and went on to sing the entire encore wearing his MOWOS Oktoberfest heart around his neck!”
Yep, probably. In the video footage I didn’t see Bertis helping out Michael press his hands in the cement as stated in the article. I’m guessing he may have asked Bertis before they walked in the door.
30th September
From R.E.M. Instagram Remembering Bill Rieflin, dear friend and consummate musical talent, born on this day in 1960. As Michael said, “his time here with us was so precious and golden.”
Pic from R.E.M. HQ 30th September 2008 R.E.M.’s show in Murcia, Spain, coincided with drummer Bill Rieflin’s birthday, which was duly noted and celebrated on stage with a fabulous birthday cake garnished with drum sticks.
Automatic for the People was released on this day in 1992 in the UK and the following day in the US. I was working in radio at the time so I received an advance promo copy. Years later, I found a used copy of the limited edition that came in a wooden box. In 2017 I purchased the 25th anniversary edition.
Around the Sun was released on this day in 2004 in North America and the day before outside North America. I also found a used copy of the limited edition of this album years later. The tour for this album was supposed to kick off in Raleigh, NC but that date was dropped when they were invited to perform as part of the Vote for Change tour. It’s the only tour where they didn’t perform in NC. I caught them on this tour at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN and the following night at Gwinnett Arena in Duluth, GA. The Nashville show included a gathering of members of Murmurs. We may have also met up in Athens. I don’t recall but I think we did.
