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"Aftermath" B-sides feature songs from Athens rehearsals
Source: R.E.M.hq As previously announced, the second single from "Around the Sun" will be "Aftermath." B-sides for the single were recorded in the Athens Rehearsal Studio during the summer and include "High Speed Train," "So Fast, So Numb," and "All the Right Friends." Brett Eliason recorded the tracks which were mixed by Jamie Candiloro. The single will be released in late November (November 29th in UK, according to MHV.co.uk). Here are the configurations: International Maxi CD in slimline packaging: 1. Aftermath 2. So Fast, So Numb--live from rehearsals 3. All the Right Friends--live from rehearsals International 2-track CD in baby pack: 1. Aftermath 2. High Speed Train--live from rehearsals UK 2-track CD in slimline packaging (altered cover): 1. Aftermath 2. High Speed Train--live from rehearsals |
Latesr News
"Aftermath" hits radio stations next week BBC Radio 2 website announces that the second single from "Around The Sun" will be the next week's Record Of the Week on Radio 2. So, expect it on your local radio stations soon! |
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New dates in Europe
Source: R.E.M.hq R.E.M.hq has officially announced new dates in Europe. The dates are: JUNE 2005 - Sunday 5th June Graz, Freizeitzentrum, Schwarzl, Austria Tuesday 21st June Gothenburg, Tragarn, Sweden Wednesday 29th June Dresden, Elbufer, Germany. Tickets are already onsale. |
Everybody Hurts: Only The Rich Won On Election Day, Says R.E.M.'s Mike Mills
11/11/2004 The Ottawa Citizen Crushed, disappointed and devastated. That's how R.E.M. bassist Mike Mills describes his reaction to last week's U.S. presidential election. Mills and his bandmates Michael Stipe and Peter Buck worked tirelessly to convince voters to oust GeorgeW. Bush. Along with acts such as Bruce Springsteen, Dixie Chicks and Pearl Jam, R.E.M. was part of the Vote for Change tour, which hit battleground states in the weeks leading up to Nov. 2. "I'm very disappointed in America, to be quite frank with you," Mills said during a phone interview Tuesday. "It was pretty crushing. Not just for myself, but so many people put so much effort into trying to get John Kerry elected that I felt bad for all of them, and I felt bad for the people of the United States of America. "I think they allowed themselves to be blinded by this fear of terrorism, and they voted against their best interests." He is still struggling to find a glimmer of hope for Americans facing the next four years. "I think it's going to be really bad," Mills says. "For rich white guys, it's going to be great. For everybody else, it's not going to be so good. I think the deficit is going to be so enormous that people can't even comprehend how big it's going to be. I mean, you can't cut taxes and pay for this war." Still, a thoughtful band like R.E.M. is unlikely to turn into an aggressive mess like Gwar to vent their frustrations. On a theatre tour of North America to promote the understated, and widely underrated, new disc Around the Sun, it appears the best way to cope is to dig into the music. What makes their concerts special, Mills says, is the spark between musicians. The core trio is touring with extra personnel, including the Posies' Ken Stringfellow and Minus 5/Young Fresh Fellows frontman Scott McCaughey. "There's a certain chemistry that occurs when this particular batch of musicians gets on stage together," he says, "and the thing that makes it work is the energy between the audience and musicians." Through the music, they're determined to prove it's not the end of the world. And if it is, they feel fine, to paraphrase the old R.E.M. hit. "We knew that if we lost we were going to have to eliminate the sadness by putting on a rock show, and just reminding people that the world must go on," Mills says. "Nothing's over. There's no permeation of the atmosphere by sadness or anything like that. You have to move on and you have to celebrate life, which is what we're doing." In Canada, R.E.M. is playing smaller Canadian markets for the first time since the early days, and isn't averse to moving into arenas, such as tonight's concert at the Ottawa Civic Centre. Other stops include London, Toronto, Montreal, Thunder Bay, Winnipeg, Calgary and Vancouver. R.E.M.'s Canadian tour kicked off in London this week on an unusual note. On Monday, the night before the first concert, the band members had a rare night on the town. They ended up in a bar jamming with a London-based freeform art-noise group called Nihilist Spasm. "It was nothing but improvisation," Mills says. "You just get up there and start making noise. That was huge fun for us since we don't really do that on stage. We're not the most improvisational of bands. The thing that keeps it fresh for us is that we do change the set every night." The freeform approach brings to mind the legend of their last performance in Ottawa 19 years ago. During a 1985 Barrymore's show, the story goes, the band played five or six of their own songs, then chucked the setlist to run through cover songs, from Lynyrd Skynyrd to Creedence Clearwater Revival, and even a version of Moon River, according to one second-hand report. "It was not unusual for us to do that," chuckles Mills. "We always busted out a few covers, but I seem to recall that night, for some reason, we just went a little crazy and decided to play a whole bunch of weird stuff." |
From Amazon.com
According to Amazon.com, everything from 1988's "Green" through 2001's "Reveal" as well as the "In Time: The Best Of R.E.M." compilation is getting a double-disc re-release with bonus tracks next year. There are no any further info on these reissues, except they'll be released by Rhino (a part of the AOL/Time-Warner family) on January 25th and will cost about $25 in USA, 25 Euro in Germany, 19 Euro in France and 15 pounds in UK (all prices from Amazon store). So, start putting aside money! |
World tour support announced
Source: R.E.M.hq Support has been firmed up for most of the band's 2005 World Tour, R.E.M.hq reports. R.E.M will be joined by Joseph Arthur, Brainstorm, Bright Eyes, and The Thrills on various legs of next year's tour. Opening acts for the UK and Ireland, South Africa, Japan, Hong Kong, and other locales will be announced in the coming days. JOSEPH ARTHUR Jan-7-Lisbon Jan-8-Madrid Jan-9-Barcelona Jan-11-Marseille Jan-12-Geneva Jan-13-Basel Jan-15-Milan BRAINSTORM Jan-16-Bolzano Jan-17-Ljubljana Jan-19-Zagreb Jan-21-Belgrade Jan-22-Budapest Jan-23-Prague Jan-25-Riga Jan-26-Tallinn Jan-27-St. Petersburg Jan-29-Helsinki THE THRILLS Jan-31-Stockholm Feb-01-Oslo Feb-03-Rotterdam Feb-04-Oberhausen Feb-05-Hannover Feb-07-Antwerp Feb-08-Paris Feb-11-Vienna Feb-12-Stuttgart Feb-13-Leipzig Feb-15-Berlin Feb-16-Copenhagen Feb-17-Hamburg BRIGHT EYES Mar-24-Christchurch Mar-26-New Plymouth Mar-29-Brisbane Mar-31-Sydney Apr-3-Melbourne Apr-6-Adelaide Apr-8-Perth |
Open air dates added to World Tour
Source: R.E.M.hq R.E.M.hq reports that the band has added two shows in Spain, a date in Germany, and a further show in Ireland to their 2005 World Tour. The added dates are as follows: May 27--Torrevieja (East of Mercia), Spain--Campo De Futbol De Torrevieja May 29--Gijon, Spain--Hipodromo De Las Mestas June 1--Magdeburg, Germany--Dom Platz (26th Novemer On Sale Date) June 19--Dublin--Ardgillan Castle (3rd December On Sale Date) |
Winter UK/Ireland Tour support announced
Source: R.E.M.hq According to R.E.M.hq, Athens band Now It's Overhead will support R.E.M in the United Kingdom and Ireland during the Winter leg of the band's 2005 Tour at the following shows: 02.19.05--Apollo, London 02.21.05--Hallam FM Arena, Sheffield 02.22.05--SECC, Glasgow 02.23.05--NEC, Birmingham 02.25.05--Odyssey, Belfast 02.26.05--Point, Dublin 02.27.05--Point, Dublin Two more shows added in South Africa Source: R.E.M.hq R.E.M will play second-night shows in both Cape Town and Johannesburg this coming March while on tour in support of Around the Sun. The band confirmed yesterday that they have added shows on March 5th at the Bellville Velodrome in Cape Town, South Africa, and at the Coca-Cola Dome in Johannesburg, South Africa, on March 11th. [/b] |
I finally watched "Aftermath" video. Sweet jesus, how lame can it get, Now even "All the Way To Reno" looks like a masterpiece. This "Around the Sun" era is a complete disaster!
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REM Nominated for Best Live Band 2004 by Xfm
Source: Xfm Online From The Darkness' determined campaign to put the showmanship back into rock to The Pixies' pant-wettingly anticipated return, 2004 was a great year for live music. Check out the year's best purveyors of Great Gig, as picked by the Xfm Jock Roster then get voting for your most memorable live music experience of the year. Amongst the nominations for best live band 2004, you will find: Paul Anderson - REM. For full list of nominations and to vote, please visit Xfm Online website Links: http://www.xfm.co.uk/sectional.asp?b=reviews&id=3024 - Xfm Online website |
Feeder Support
Feeder gets support slot for select UK dates UK band, Feeder, will open for R.E.M on two dates during the '05 Tour including the highly-anticipated Hyde Park London date on July 9th. R.E.M. with support from Feeder: June 17th--LCCC, Manchester July 9th--Hyde Park, London |
Those will be great shows, I've seen Feeder support REM twice, they rock!
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The World Tour kicked off!
Sources: R.E.M.hq, Murmurs.com R.E.M began their European leg of this year's World Tour in support of Around the Sun last night in Lisbon, Portugal, with opening act Joseph Arthur. Last night's show was the first of 37 scheduled for January and February. The European portion of the tour culminates with two nights in Dublin, Ireland, at The Point before the band takes a sharp turn and heads off to South Africa, Japan, New Zealand, Hong Kong, and Australia in March and April. Last night R.E.M. played 24 songs with "Departure" (which made its tour debut) as an opening track. During encore the band has been joined onstage by Joseph Arthur who played guitar on Permanent Vacation and I'm Gonna DJ. Taking the opportunity, we'd like to remind you that there's a special section on R.E.M. is ON! featuring tour dates, setlists, statistics and photos from the road. You can also post your own reviews of the shows there. The Lisbon setlist follows: Departure Begin The Begin The Wake-Up Bomb Animal Boy In The Well Drive Electron Blue The Great Beyond High Speed Train Everybody Hurts Leaving New York I Wanted To Be Wrong Imitation Of Life Final Straw The One I Love Walk Unafraid Losing My Religion Life And How To Live It What's The Frequency, Kenneth? Finest Worksong Aftermath Permanent Vacation I'm Gonna DJ Man On The Moon |
"Electron Blue" next single
In a postcard from France Bertis Downs wrote that "Aftermath" is just going to radio in much of the world. He also reported that "Electron Blue" will most likely be the third single from "Around the Sun". Stay tuned for more details. |
Official info on Warner era albums reissues
Source: Rhino Records R.E.M.'s albums for Warner Bros. will be reissued on February 15 in newly created CD/DVD editions. Here are information on every release straight from Rhino Records: GREEN Their 1988 major label debut, featuring the hits "Orange Crush" and "Stand." This special CD+DVD edition includes new liner notes by Danny Eccleston, 5.1 surround mixes, a previously unreleased documentary video, and two live performances from Tour Film. OUT OF TIME Their #1 Grammy-winning 1991 album, featuring the hits "Losing My Religion" and "Shiny Happy People." This special CD+DVD edition includes new liner notes by Anthony DeCurtis, 5.1 surround mixes, and the previously unreleased Time Piece documentary. AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE (in fact this is the info for DVD-Audio version of AFTP) The band’s third album for Warner Bros. (and 8th overall) is a moody masterpiece. “Man On The Moon” became a smash radio hit and was accompanied by an award-winning video clip. Several other songs were released as singles (“Drive,” “The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite,” “Everybody Hurts,” and “Find The River”), all of which helped Automatic For The People become one of the best-selling R.E.M. albums. The orchestral arrangements on several tracks are by Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones. The new DVD-Audio version of Automatic For The People includes Michael Stipe’s original typed & handwritten lyrics as part of the on-screen content, as well as new liner notes, a photo gallery with unseen outtakes from Anton Corbijn’s original sessions, a full career discography, and a 5.1 sample of a track from the band’s latest album, Reveal. Also on the disc is the original “Electronic Press Kit” that preceded the release of Automatic, featuring commentary from the band members – it’s the first time this rare documentary has been available on DVD. This DVD-Audio release has been mixed from the original multitrack master tapes to create the best, most dynamic sound possible. MONSTER Their #1 1994 album, featuring the hits "What's The Frequency, Kenneth?" and "King Of Comedy." This special CD+DVD edition includes new liner notes by Gil Kaufman, 5.1 surround mixes, and rare video performances of "What's The Frequency, Kenneth?," "Let Me In," and "I Don't Sleep I Dream." NEW ADVENTURES IN HI-FI Their experimental 1996 album, featuring the cuts "How The West Was Won And Where It Got Us" and "E-Bow The Letter." This special CD+DVD edition includes new liner notes by Richard Byrne, 5.1 surround mixes, and a previously unreleased video documentary shot during the Monster tour. UP Their pivotal 1998 album, their first without drummer Bill Berry, featuring the favorites "Suspicion" and "Daysleeper." This special CD+DVD edition includes new liner notes by Gil Kaufman, 5.1 surround mixes, and excerpts from the film Uptake. REVEAL Their breezy 2001 album, featuring the favorites "Imitation Of Life" and "All The Way To Reno (You're Gonna Be A Star)." This special CD+DVD edition includes new liner notes by Gil Kaufman, 5.1 surround mixes, a rare studio documentary, and a remixed video clip for "I'll Take The Rain." IN TIME: THE BEST OF R.E.M. (1988-2003) The best of their Warner years -- 18 essential songs on a single disc. This special CD+DVD edition includes 5.1 surround mixes and two video clips for "Bad Day," one featuring multiple angles. |
Yeah the stage is quite cool.
Our concert in Ljubljana was mediocre - bad crowd, people didn't even seem to know Losing My Religion, Everybody Hurts and Man on the Moon - but the media generally praised the show and people I've talked to seemed to like it a lot. But out of 10 REM shows I've been to, this must have been one of the worst! Can't really compare to Scottish crowd at Stirling Castle or 150,000 people in main square in Koeln :) |
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I saw a torrent of that show on EZ Torrent and I wondered if you were there. I can give you a link if you are interested in a copy (unless you are the taper :twisted: ) Kathleen |
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Tour dates added in Spain, Germany, Italy, UK & Belgium
Source: R.E.M.hq R.E.M. HQ has confirmed that the band will play additional shows on the following dates in the following cities: May 28th: Zaragoza, Spain: Recinto Ferial Dela Feria Fe Mestras June 3rd: Cologne, Germany: Rock Am Ring June 4th: Nurnberg, Germany: Rock Im Park June10th: Rome, Italy: Stadio Olimpico June 11th: Bologna, Italy: Heineken Festival June 12th: Isle of Wight, UK: Isle of Wight Festival July 3rd: Werchter, Belgium: Werchter Festival Please stay tuned for more announcements. |
St Petersburg show cancelled
Source: R.E.M.hq http://www.remison.com/gfx/news/2005..._cancelled.jpg Mirrored from R.E.M.hq: After a great night in Tallinn and an all-night journey to St Petersburg in wintry conditions, R.E.M greatly regrets having to cancel the show tonight in St Petersburg. Lengthy delays at the Estonia/Russia border caused our trucks, crew, and gear (sound, lights, instruments, and so forth) to arrive too late to mount the show. This is the first time since the widely-chronicled 1995 tour that R.E.M. has had to cancel a show, and it is a major disappointment for the band not to be playing this particular city. As Michael and the band told some Russian journalists at the hotel this afternoon, we are obviously sorry for all of the inconvenience this has caused for people who were planning to be there. |
Details for Electron Blue
Source: R.E.M.hq Electron Blue will be released as a single on February 28th. Here are full details for the CD Maxi Single (International): 1. Electron Blue 3:53 Produced by Pat McCarthy & R.E.M. Mixed by Pat McCarthy Engineered by Jamie Candiloro 2. Sweetness Follows (Live) 4:07 Recorded by Brett Eliason in Cincinnati on October 27, 2004 3. Leaving New York (Live Video) Filmed live from the monitors in Helsinki on January 29, 2005 Tour Video Director: Blue Leach |
Japan support announced
Source: R.E.M.hq Japanese 3-piece rock outfit, doa, will support R.E.M during the band's swing through Japan, March 16th-18th. doa, who made their major label debut in 2004, have a new record, Open D, coming out this month according to their website: d-o-a.jp. Of particular interest is the fact that lead vocalist, Daiki, also is a successful professional race car driver, with many winning titles under his belt. R.E.M. with doa: March 16th--Budokan--Tokyo March 17th--Geijyutsu Gekijyo--Nagoya March 18th--Grand Cube--Osaka |
More tour dates added
Source: R.E.M.hq R.E.M.hq confirmed that the band will play a second concert in Sydney, Australia. The added show is scheduled for April 1st at the Sydney Entertainment Centre. Tickets will go on sale February 18th at all retail outlets in Australia. R.E.M. will also headline the final night of the 16th Annual East Coast Blues & Roots Festival at the Red Devil Park in Byron Bay, Australia. The Blues and Roots Festival runs from March 24th-28th and will include performances by artists such as Sarah McLachlan, Dave Matthews Band, Bright Eyes, George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic and Jack Johnson. |
I just came back from Hanover. It was my first REM-concert and for sure won't be my last. It was absolutely great. I just can recomment everyone who has the chance to go. You won't regret it.
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Electron Blue video soon
In a recent postcard from Oberhausen Bertis Downs reported that the video for Electron Blue will be ready in the next week or two. "As you might imagine, it will have a real live edge to it," Downs wrote. |
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In the encore, you even got to hear my fav REM song - Country Feedback - the one between Drive and Leaving New York - "it's crazy what you could have had, crazy what you could have had, i need this, i need this"! |
Mike's health problems
Source: R.E.M.hq Due to Mike Mills' illness, yesterday's show in Sheffield was postponed until June 15th, when the band will return to this arena to make up for last night's nonappearance. R.E.M.hq also announced that the show scheduled for today at the S.E.C. in Glasgow has been cancelled. According to Bertis Downs, "Mike has been receiving medical care in Sheffield and is resting. As to how this affects the shows scheduled for the remainder of the week and beyond, the band is taking it day-to-day based on the advice of Mike's doctors. Obviously we all want Mike to get better, and clearly we all want to play the shows; And rest assured we will do so as soon as possible. Hope to see you all in Birmingham Wednesday night. As for make-up dates, the band will return to Sheffield on June 15th, as announced earlier today. We are currently trying to sort out a Glasgow replacement date, but that may take a while." During yesterday's show Michael and Peter went up to the stage to let the crowd know how sorry the guys were not to be able to play. The crowd was really supportive and understanding and were treated to something pretty special: an accoustic set of "The One I Love," "Leaving New York," "I've Been High," and "Losing My Religion." Michael mentioned that he knows a lot of people came from far away to be here and that just made the dissappointment for the band even worse. So, keep your fingers crossed for Mike and hope he will be fine soon! |
R.E.M. continues the tour
Source: R.E.M.hq R.E.M.hq has announced that Mike Mills is feeling much better and that the doctor has cleared him to play this evening's scheduled show in Birmingham. According to Bertis, "He is feeling better, looking better and ready to give it a shot. Mike really appreciates all the good wishes and feelings that have been coming his way and his spirits are brightening." |
Summer tour support announced
Source: R.E.M.hq Mew will be joining R.E.M this summer as support on four dates in Scandinavia. R.E.M.hq also confirms that Moby, The Zutons, and The Devlins will be playing with the band on June 19th in Dublin at Ardgillan Castle. JUNE 19-DUBLIN, ARDGILLAN CASTLE - R.E.M., Moby, The Zutons, The Devlins JUNE 21-GOTHENBURG, TRAGARN - Mew JUNE 22-OSLO, ULLEVAAL - Mew JUNE 23-STAVANGER, VIKING STADIUM - Mew JUNE 25-HORSENS, FORUM STADIUM - Mew |
Glasgow re-schedule in the works
Source: R.E.M.hq As of Friday afternoon the band is working determinedly to reschedule the Glasgow show for the month of June. They hope to have an announcement by next week, so stay tuned if you had tickets to the show at the SECC which was cancelled due to Mike's illness. |
Glasgow show rescheduled
Source: R.E.M.hq R.E.M.hq announces that the band has been able to secure a date in Glasgow this summer to make up the show which was cancelled in February. As you all know R.E.M. had to cancel their recent Glasgow concert at the SECC on the 22nd due to Mike Mills contracting a bout of flu. Since then promoters Regular Music and the band have been in discussions to find a new suitable date. The date the band can do is now not available at the SECC, however the band are determined to honor their commitment to play Glasgow and with the promoters have managed to secure a date at Glasgow Green on Tuesday 14th June. This concert will be staged in the largest Big Top Tent in Europe. Mark Mackie, Director of Regular Music, said earlier today "It is fantastic news and it really shows R.E.M.'s commitment to their Scottish fans that they are coming back to Glasgow for what will be a truly unique gig." Original tickets for the February 22nd show at the SECC MUST be exchanged for this new show. If you have bought tickets by phone or on-line, it could only have been from either Ticketweb or the SECC box office*. They will write to you, with a stamped addressed envelope for you to return the tickets, they will ask you to indicate that you want tickets for the new show. On return of this letter they will send you out your new tickets for R.E.M. in the Big Top on the Green. If you cannot make the new show please indicate that you wish a refund. Tickets are the same price for the new show and you will not be charged any other booking fees or postal charges. Similarly if you bought tickets in person, please return to point of purchase where replacement tickets or refunds will be issued. Please note that there will be a cut off date of April 1st for swapping tickets. At this point remaining tickets will be made available for public sale. R.E.M. Fan Club members who bought tickets to the February 22nd show will be contacted by the Fan Club in the next few days. |
More summer tour support confirmed
Source: R.E.M.hq R.E.M.hq reports that UK band The Tears, Edinburgh rockers, Idlewild, former Longpig's member Richard Hawley, Johnathan Rice, and New York's Ambulance Ltd have joined on as supporting acts at various points during the upcoming summer tour. June 14th--Glasgow Green--Richard Hawley June 15th--Sheffield, Arena--Richard Hawley June 17th--Manchester--Feeder, The Zutons, and Idlewild June 18th--Loch Lomond--The Zutons and Ambulance Ltd. June 19th--Dublin--Moby, The Zutons, The Devlins, and Ambulance Ltd. June 28th--Bonn--The Tears June 29th--Dresden--The Tears July 5th--Hull--The Zutons and Idlewild July 6th--Nottingham--The Zutons and Idlewild July 9th--London, Hyde Park--Feeder, The Zutons, Idlewild, & Johnathan Rice July 10th--Cardiff--The Zutons, Idlewild, & Johnathan Rice There still are a few more dates with support TBA. Stay tuned for more details. |
Michael's interview with Andrew Denton
Sources: ABC Online, R.E.M.hq Michael Stipe was a guest on Australian TV show Enough Rope with Andrew Denton on April 4th. Below you'll find the transcript from Michael's interview. R.E.M.hq reported that a video stream of the interview will be available soon on ABC's website ANDREW DENTON: It's fantastic to have you here. MICHAEL STIPE: Thank you. ANDREW DENTON: I thought we would kick off with a look at you on stage on your current world tour. This is you with your current single, Electron Blue. (VIDEO INSERT) ANDREW DENTON: The stripe is a great look. What's that about; is this a quiet cross-promotion for The Incredibles? MICHAEL STIPE: Actually, no, I had the stripe idea before their movie came out. They kind of stole it from me, I believe. I think when people go to see a show they don't really want to see the same person they might see walking down the street. It's a little bit of theatre. ANDREW DENTON: You said that as a kid you were perceptive to a point that other kids weren't. This is talking about the way you see the world; do you remember that? MICHAEL STIPE: I said that to you? ANDREW DENTON: You did say that to me in the past, yes. MICHAEL STIPE: No. ANDREW DENTON: In what way? MICHAEL STIPE: Emotionally I think more than anything. I had an incredibly happy childhood. But whenever something was going on in the world, certainly within my family and the adults were all a little bit frantic, I seemed to be the one that broke away from the sandpit and would walk over and tug on someone's shirt and say, "What's happening?" ANDREW DENTON: Your dad was in the air force and you travelled around a lot with your family. MICHAEL STIPE: The army. ANDREW DENTON: Army, sorry. You spent a couple of years when you were fairly young in Germany, as a kid. You said that you can remember every day of that time. What was so pungent about that experience. MICHAEL STIPE: That was a slight exaggeration for a journalist. It was a period of my life, there was somebody about being picked up out of what I knew, which was basically the south at that point, we kind of travelled around the southern states of the United States, and moving to this faraway place across the ocean. I remember being on the plane and throwing up and my mum telling my dad that I was going to throw up, and him saying, "Maryanne, stop saying that because he is going to do it." And of course I did. I used to vomit a lot actually when we travelled. Now that I think about it, we had a signal where I would say "stop" in the car, and they learned to stop immediately. ANDREW DENTON: There was a certain tone to it, was there? MICHAEL STIPE: Yes, I would open the door and vomit and we would be on our way. ANDREW DENTON: Isn't it great that for a living now you travel the world week after week? MICHAEL STIPE: I haven't thrown up in a long time. How did we get off on this? ANDREW DENTON: Germany. MICHAEL STIPE: Germany -- I don't know why there. I was seven years old when we moved there. We were there for a year and a half. It just resonates to this day. ANDREW DENTON: Your dad was a chopper pilot in Vietnam. MICHAEL STIPE: And Korea, yes. ANDREW DENTON: Your mum would say, "Look for him on the evening news." Is that what you did? MICHAEL STIPE: I think it was her way of trying to connect three very young children to why our father was out there and what he was doing, and it worked. In the late sixties, the Flintstones cartoon was a prime-time television show. We would sit down with our french fries and hamburgers and be watching the Flintstones. They would interrupt it for live footage from Vietnam. My mother would say, "Now watch for your father." We would of course sit there and go, "I think I saw him" over and over again. At that time, transcontinental phone calls were not possible, certainly from Vietnam. The letters that he would write and pictures that he would send were coming from this very faraway place. The globe meant nothing to a five year old. ANDREW DENTON: You spent every Christmas with your family; is that right? As many as you can... MICHAEL STIPE: Every single one, yes. ANDREW DENTON: What's a Stipe family Christmas like? MICHAEL STIPE: I'm a little bit of a sap, which shows in the work and my contribution to what we do as a band. ANDREW DENTON: What do you mean by "sap". MICHAEL STIPE: You know, I'm sentimental. I tread that line carefully, I think, as a lyricist and as an artist I try to -- in being a man in the late 20th century and now the 21st century, showing insecurity and showing sentimentality and showing vulnerability particularly is not something that people are that used to. Anyway, back to Christmas. We do all of the Christmas things. We sit around, we have a big dinner, we trim the tree, and my parents go to a sunrise service, we open presents. ANDREW DENTON: Is it a big present family? Isn't it true? This may have been another thing you exaggerated to a journalist, but is it true that you can remember every present you got since your were six or seven? MICHAEL STIPE: No. There are a lot of misquotes in music journalism, more so than even in the American news media, which is hard to imagine. In certain parts of the world but certainly in the UK they tend to take one little thing and turn it into an entire story. I notice actually that the Australian gossip magazines are very, very good. ANDREW DENTON: As in good at getting it wrong or getting it right? MICHAEL STIPE: No. I was reading one on the plane on my way here today. It's all about celebrity fatties. Actually one of the celebrity fatties is the one who told me that the Australian gossip mags here are really awesome. It was Courtney Love, who is doing great, I'm happy to say. But she is one of the celebrity fatties. She has put on a little bit of weight now that she is clean and sober, which is awesome. All of the other people are really thin and they just caught them at a bad angle, but they built an entire story around it, which is kind of interesting. I wonder how many people really believe that stuff. ANDREW DENTON: What does Courtney Love think if she finds herself in a magazine as a celebrity fatty? MICHAEL STIPE: She loves it. ANDREW DENTON: I want to take you back. Can we bring in the time-travelling table? MICHAEL STIPE: Oh, dear. ANDREW DENTON: Relax, its perfectly all right. MICHAEL STIPE: I wondered what that thing was, a little piece of modern sculpture from Melbourne or something. ANDREW DENTON: Something Christo left me, I'm quite proud of it. I want to take you back to when you were 15. MICHAEL STIPE: Dear God. Are these real? ANDREW DENTON: They are not, sadly, they are out of season in Australia. A night where you got intimate with two kilos of cherries, Patti Smith's Album 'Horse', and possibly a lava lump. MICHAEL STIPE: Not a lava lamp, no. ANDREW DENTON: That night when you were 15 when you sat up with the cherries and Patti Smith, can you talk us through? MICHAEL STIPE: No talk show has ever gone to such great lengths to bring back a memory. This record came out in 1975. I was 15 years old. My knowledge of music was fairly limited to what my parents listened to and what I heard on the radio, which was pretty eclectic at the time. But I liked Benny and the Jets and Elton John, and Rock On by David Essex. And that's about it, until this record. I found out about this record through a newspaper that I got a subscription to by accident from New York city called the Village Voice. They were talking about this nascent singing at a club there that they were calling punk rock. And Patti Smith was a huge part of it. She was the first of those people to release an album and I bought it the day that it came out. I sat up all night listening to it, ate an entire bowl of cherries, threw up. There is a lot of vomit in this. I really don't throw up often, I just want to clarify that. I decided that morning that I was going to dedicate my life to being in a band. I don't know, it was a very naive decision to make that I was going to dedicate my life to being in a band. I didn't even know that I could sing at that point. But I could. ANDREW DENTON: It didn't come as a surprise to those around you. This was your photo from your high school graduation book. MICHAEL STIPE: They airbrushed my face. I had the worst acne, as you might be able to see from the cameras. ANDREW DENTON: Is that right? MICHAEL STIPE: Yes. ANDREW DENTON: Underneath, your classmates listed you as future rock star. Was their image of what a rock star was the same as yours? MICHAEL STIPE: No. I will say this, and this is probably a little too brutally honest for television, but I have never thought of myself as a very cool person. I think a lot of people that wind up being public figures, there might be some degree of insecurity that leads you to desire that kind of attention. I consider myself to still be kind of a nerd and not particularly talented, attractive, interesting, intelligent or anything else. I used to wonder why my friends hung out with me. Then, you know, of course a little bit later in life I figured out that I do have qualities that are worth while. The degree to which I apply myself as an artist, as a song writer, is at the very least absolutely sincere and giving everything that I can. And that counts for something. ANDREW DENTON: It counts for a lot. Let's talk about you as a songwriter. Even those who don't know your music probably know this. This is REM's best known song, though I am sure many would dispute not necessarily their best, Losing My Religion. (VIDEO INSERT) ANDREW DENTON: That was the early hair period. MICHAEL STIPE: That's me with hair. ANDREW DENTON: That's you in the corner with hair. The black art of songwriting, where does a great song start? Is it in the heart, the mind, the fingers, where? MICHAEL STIPE: There are a lot of songs in our extensive catalogue that I wish I had not tried so hard to finish writing. The ones that I most love are the ones that came from somewhere else. There is nothing spiritual or higher or holier than thou about that. It's really kind of maybe a stream of consciousness, God knows. Anyway, the best songs, like that one, Losing my Religion, I honestly have no idea where it came from. ANDREW DENTON: Do you sometimes look at your lyrics after you have written them and think, "What the hell does this mean?" MICHAEL STIPE: Yes. It's okay for them to be nonsensical. You tell me what Bob Dylan is singing about. I don't know. Some of the best songs in the world don't make any linear sense whatsoever. Perhaps the best songs don't. So it doesn't have to have a narrative or follow a train of thought that makes any sense at all. It just has to be good and make you feel something when you hear it. ANDREW DENTON: Interestingly, on your new album the song I Wanted to be Wrong probably has the most direct lyrics you have written, talking about the state of the US post 9-11, "Everybody is humming a song I don't understand". Last October, you, Springsteen, Pearl Jam and the Dixie Chicks went on the Vote for Change Tour to nine states, 28 cities, I think it was. What were you hoping to achieve? MICHAEL STIPE: Well, we wanted George W Bush the **** out of the White House and we wanted John Kerry in. And it didn't work. ANDREW DENTON: The other night in your concert -- and you have been doing this around Australia -- you dedicated the song Strange Currencies to Michael Hutchence. MICHAEL STIPE: I did. ANDREW DENTON: I know that when talking about two of your closest friends, now gone, Kurt Cobain and River Phoenix -- MICHAEL STIPE: Great friends. ANDREW DENTON: Great friends; that's right. You said that what was at the heart of all of you was your vulnerabilities. I'm curious how it is you have survived your vulnerabilities when they didn't. MICHAEL STIPE: I'm very lucky, I guess. I honestly don't know how to answer that. I've never thought about it in that way. ANDREW DENTON: You did once say that if your first album had sold five million you wouldn't be alive today. MICHAEL STIPE: He was under immense pressure, that guy. He had a lot of physical problems and he was a drug addict. I kind of maintain, and this is my stupid theory, who knows, that people that -- I don't even want to say it on TV, to tell you the truth. You know what, I will do a leaner version of it, which is that as a performer, whether you are a Chinese acrobat or a sports figure, a basketball player, rugby player, or certainly if you are an actor, singer, musician, the amount of adrenaline coursing through your body is unbelievable. It's the most powerful drug that I have ever taken. I did a lot of experimenting when I was very young. I think that people that have that kind of adrenaline as a part of their life maybe are just looking for a balance, and that balance might be in drugs or alcohol. It's self-medicating. Sometimes it's a slippery slope. ANDREW DENTON: Rather than asking you to comment on Kurt or River, I'm interested in what made you strong, because other people, Tom York from Radiohead, have turned to you, "How do I deal with this?" MICHAEL STIPE: I've been trying to dispel this idea that people come to me. I am offering them advice all the time, and I try to be really careful about that, because I don't know anything. I really don't. It is really that what we do is a very particular thing, as is what you do. What you do is incredibly specific. There might be a hundred television talkshow hosts around the world. If you met another one over drinks what would you discuss, what would you talk about? ANDREW DENTON: I would just kill them. If you are talking about what you do, then you talk about how you talk to people, how you open them up. "Does my hair look all right?" MICHAEL STIPE: Your hair looks great. ANDREW DENTON: Sorry, I shouldn't mention the hair. MICHAEL STIPE: Years of therapy later I'm fine with it. Anyway, it's really like people that have this very peculiar job coming together and talking. In that talking I might have experienced something that Tom York hasn't experienced, or I might have gone through a period of self-doubt or searching that he has just come up on for the first time. Knowing that that conversation is possible might ease the way a little bit or at the very least knowing that you are not the only person going through that. ANDREW DENTON: Tomorrow is the 25th anniversary of your first ever gig and I didn't get you anything. I am terribly sorry. MICHAEL STIPE: You brought all this stuff. ANDREW DENTON: You talk about the unusualness of the job you are in and the pressure that brings the adrenaline. How have you retained your friendships with the other members of your band, Peter and Mike in particular, over 25 years. That's not easy. MICHAEL STIPE: No, it's not. At this point we love each other very deeply. There are immense amounts of respect for each other. We also know each other better probably than anyone else on this living earth. What brought us together in the first place -- and, again, I'm a little bit of a sap -- was the love of music and that's what has kept us going. ANDREW DENTON: How have you looked after each other? MICHAEL STIPE: We have fights all the time. We have incredible knock-down anxiety attack kind of fights. It's all the horrible stuff, but it's real. That's what makes it real, I think. We have been to 29 countries since January 1st. We sat down, myself, the drummer, two other people that I work with, at a table the other night over fish and chips and wrote down on a napkin who could get to the end of it first. We all got there. One guy forgot Latvia. ANDREW DENTON: You will never work there again. One last thing for you. You have a book called The Book of Me, that's right? MICHAEL STIPE: That's a little bit of an exaggeration. ANDREW DENTON: Is it? MICHAEL STIPE: Yes. It's an idea that hasn't quite formed yet. ANDREW DENTON: What's the idea? MICHAEL STIPE: Are we getting to the plane ticket thing? ANDREW DENTON: Sure. You collect boarding passes. MICHAEL STIPE: I collect boarding passes, sugar packets. Look, I can't believe it. There it is. ANDREW DENTON: This is the list of all the places you have been to? You have got 27. MICHAEL STIPE: I got 27 out of 29. ANDREW DENTON: That's not bad. You have crossed out Latvia. MICHAEL STIPE: No, I didn't. ANDREW DENTON: Angrily. MICHAEL STIPE: I didn't get Latvia; yes, I did, it's number 11. ANDREW DENTON: What is the idea of The Book of Me? MICHAEL STIPE: Things like this that I will look at 10 years from now and I will go, "Good God, we had fish and chips in Melbourne." I paste stuff in books. I bought the paste, but it's in my bag. I don't really do it, I just talk about it. ANDREW DENTON: We are going to start it. Wendy, could you bring out the special -- MICHAEL STIPE: Oh, God. Hi, Wendy. ANDREW DENTON: Wendy, Michael; Michael Wendy. MICHAEL STIPE: Is that a spider? What are you trying to do? ANDREW DENTON: I figured that if you collect stuff from places you go to I would give you a choice of things from Australia. MICHAEL STIPE: That is wrong. I'm sorry. ANDREW DENTON: I'm sorry? I have gone to some trouble here. That's a funnel web spider. For God's sake, don't touch it. MICHAEL STIPE: Is it deadly poisonous? ANDREW DENTON: Yes. MICHAEL STIPE: Is it really? ANDREW DENTON: Yes, totally. MICHAEL STIPE: There is probably some insurance guy quaking in his shoes right now. Are they really poisonous? ANDREW DENTON: Yes. MICHAEL STIPE: This really can kill me dead? ANDREW DENTON: Eventually. MICHAEL STIPE: Come on, let's open it. Let's throw it out there and see what happens. My God, I killed it. ANDREW DENTON: No, you didn't. He is playing dead. MICHAEL STIPE: I am going to put that right back where it came from. ANDREW DENTON: He has got your scent. He is sending a message to others now; they will find you. These are Australian matches. This is a cricket protector. MICHAEL STIPE: For which part of the anatomy? ANDREW DENTON: What do you think? MICHAEL STIPE: I just came from Japan. It looks like a face mask. ANDREW DENTON: It's for there. This should be our flag, actually, it's a crushed tin of beer. So this is another futile exercise, because I thought one these would interest you. MICHAEL STIPE: I'm pretty certain I won't get out of the country with the spider. ANDREW DENTON: Gone, consider it gone. Would any of these suit you for The Book of Me? MICHAEL STIPE: I think it would have to be flat, something flat. I would get the matchbox and flatten it out. I would forever remember this great afternoon/evening that we spent together and the fact that you tried to kill me with a spider. ANDREW DENTON: I said in the introduction that you see the world differently and we love you for it. Michael Stipe. MICHAEL STIPE: Thank you so much. |
Michael Stipe coy about new album
Source: NME.com Michael Stipe has refused to reveal what the band’s next record will sound like – because he thinks he misled journalists the last time, NME.com reports. Stipe reckons the poor critical reception afforded to the 2004 LP ’Around The Sun’ was down to critics expecting a very different record to the one they got. He told Irish radio station TodayFM: "I spoke early before the record was finished when journalists asked me what the record would sound like and I've learned my lesson on that - I'll never allow that anticipation to form into words again. "Because I said it was going to be 'chaotic and political and very noisy' and it is, but it's a whisper rather than a shout. I'm not going to talk about it until it's done." Stipe also said R.E.M. have been writing songs whilst on the road for their current tour, which resumes in Granada, Spain, next week (May 25). Stipe said of the summer jaunt, "I'm looking forward to this summer tour simply because I love Europe; it's no secret how much I love Dublin and Ireland, and I love the heat, so for me performing outdoors on a summer night is about as good as it gets." Stipe also revealed he will be easing back into the normal life after the rush of travelling the world. "I don't really have it mapped out beyond the end of the tour, I don't really have plans," he said. "I'm going to stay in Europe for a spell and probably jump on the U2 tour and the Patti Smith tours, just to allow my adrenalin to creep down rather than crash from our tour. And just spend time with friends and family." |
New live DVD coming soon
Source: Murmurs.com In an interview for Austrian "Sieben Tage" magazine Michael Stipe announced that the band is going to release a new live DVD in the near future. Asked about a follow-up to last year's "Around The Sun", Stipe said that that they don't have any specific plans for it - "The tour is so much fun right now that producing a new record comes second to that", Michael told the magazine. From the other news, Murmurs.com reported that R.E.M. are probably trying out new songs during soundchecks. Someone claimed that the band played three or four new instrumental tracks ("rock and loud songs") in Magdeburg. This information hasn't been confirmed by other people. |
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