R.E.M. On This Day II

R.E.M. (1980-2011)
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I miss the first R.E.M On This Day thread. Due to no more than 5 consectutive posts by the same person, it kinda died. I’m starting another thread.
7 June 1990 - Letni Kino, Olomouc, Czechoslovakia
This was a show in the wake of the Velvet Revolution, a nationwide protest movement in Czechoslovakia in November–December 1989 that ended more than 40 years of communist rule in the country.
Billy Bragg, Michael Stipe, Natalie Merchant, Cara Tivey & The Coal Porters:
“Another Girl, Another Planet” (The Only Ones)

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I miss it too. I’ll try and comment more so that this one keeps going!

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11 June 1985
R.E.M. released “Can’t Get There From Here”. the first single from their 3rd album, Fables Of the Reconstruction released the previous day. June 10.
Peter Buck explained to MTV UK in 2001, during An Hour with R.E.M. “So we have dinosaurs and monsters in the background. It’s probably the most humorous video we’ve ever done. For a band that’s kind of noted for not having a sense of humor, I kind of enjoy that aspect of it.”

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Sources I’ve looked up have different release dates for “Don’t Go Back To Rockville”, the second and final single from R.E.M.'s second album, Reckoning. I’m going with the R.E.M. Timeline
18 June - 1984
“Don’t Go Back To) Rockville” 7" & 12" Single is released in the UK

Haven’t seen this video before, I believe it’s from December 2020, from a virtual music festival aimed at promoting voter participation in Georgia’s critical Senate runoff elections in January 2021.
Mike Mills and BIG Something for Georgia Comes Alive,

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I’ve seen it cuz I remember the banana. Maybe it was right here!!

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24 June - 1984, R.E.M. played The Warfield, San Francisco, CA

Notes from the R.E.M. Timeline - Stipe sits for the entire show due to a surfing accident in Del Mar (Stipe: “The more astute of you may have noticed that I’m sitting down this evening…well I was out boxing some waves in the ocean in Del Mar…” Audience member: “Bullshit!” Stipe: “This is the truth, I challenged the ocean and it bit me”).

“Hyena”

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25 June - 2003 - Carling Academy Brixton, London, England
R.E.M. Timeline notes - First appearance of ‘Carnival Of Sorts (Box Cars)’ since December 1985.

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28 June - 1989 - Kongresshalle, Frankfurt, West Germany
The whole show video is here on youtube.
R.E.M. Timeline notes - As the opening lines of ‘Ghost Rider’ are sung, Mike moves over and starts the song on the drums, along with Peter on bass and Bill on guitar. Halfway through, they swap around again and the song continues with Mike on guitar, Peter on the drums and Bill on bass.

“Ghost Rider” (Suicide), and a bit of “Born To Run”(Bruce Springsteen)

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30 June - 2007, Working rehearsals at the Olympia Theatre, Dublin, Ireland.

“On The Fly”

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7 July - 1985 - R.E.M. played Rock Werchter, Festivalpark, Werchter, Belgium
R.E.M. - Timeline
Other acts performing: The Ramones, Lloyd Cole And The Commotions, The Style Council, Depeche Mode, Joe Cocker, Paul Young And The Royal Family, U2
Set: Feeling Gravitys Pull / Driver 8 / (Don’t Go Back To) Rockville / Hyena / So. Central Rain (I’m Sorry) / Have You Ever Seen The Rain? / Auctioneer (Another Engine) / Old Man Kensey / Pretty Persuasion / Can’t Get There From Here / Life And How To Live It
Encore: Talk About The Passion

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18 July - 1989. 'VideoMusic’, Milan, Italy
Mike Mills & Michael Stipe interview & clips surrounding release of Green. Green is on my current playlist.

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I’m slightly late with this…

I saw R.E.M. 9 times all in. My favourite shows were on the Accelerate tour. I just think they were absolutely on it on that tour. The most natural and relaxed that Stipe had ever been. And lots of deep cuts.

But, (almost) on this day in 1999, they were doing three shows at Stirling Castle in Scotland. I went to all three, and they were amazing. Up is my favourite album, and Hi-Fi is top 5, so seeing/hearing those songs live was incredible.

Particular highlights for me were: Low Desert, Sweetness Follows, and the Great Beyond. I also caught the lyric sheet for The One I Love, and caught Peter Buck’s eye during Pilgrimage. I’m sure he smiled. Unlikely, I know, but that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Courtesy of the R.E.M. Timeline, here are the setlists:

19 July 1999 - Stirling Castle, Stirling, Scotland
support: Feeder
set: Lotus / What’s The Frequency, Kenneth? / The Wake-Up Bomb / Suspicion / Daysleeper / Electrolite / The Apologist / Half A World Away / Everybody Hurts / Sweetness Follows / The Great Beyond / The One I Love / At My Most Beautiful / Find The River / Losing My Religion / Pop Song 89 / Walk Unafraid / Man On The Moon
encore: Have You Ever Seen The Rain? (Stipe solo) / Hope - Birdland (Stipe solo) / Why Not Smile (Mills & Stipe) / Crush With Eyeliner / Tongue / Fall On Me / It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
notes: First 2 songs of the encore again were Stipe solo.
review
concert ticket

20 July 1999 - Stirling Castle, Stirling, Scotland
support: Stereolab
set: Lotus / The Wake-Up Bomb / So Fast, So Numb / Fall On Me / Suspicion / Daysleeper / How The West Was Won And Where It Got Us / Swing Low, Sweet Chariot / Driver 8 / Sweetness Follows / The One I Love / E-Bow The Letter / The Great Beyond / Losing My Religion / At My Most Beautiful / Pretty Persuasion / Star 69 / Walk Unafraid / Man On The Moon
encore: Falls To Climb (Stipe solo) / Why Not Smile (Mills & Stipe) / What’s The Frequency, Kenneth? / Tongue / Cuyahoga / It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
review

21 July 1999 - Stirling Castle, Stirling, Scotland
support: Teenage Fanclub
set: Lotus / What’s The Frequency, Kenneth? / Finest Worksong / Pilgrimage / Suspicion / Daysleeper / New Test Leper / Everybody Hurts / Low Desert / The Apologist / Sweetness Follows / The One I Love / Country Feedback / The Great Beyond / Losing My Religion / At My Most Beautiful / Walk Unafraid / Man On The Moon
encore: Hope (Stipe solo) / Why Not Smile (Mills & Stipe) / Crush With Eyeliner / So. Central Rain (I’m Sorry) / Cuyahoga / It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
review

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28 July - 1986
R.E.M releases their fourth studio album, Lifes Rich Pageant in the UK & the US.
“I Believe”

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31st July - Happy Birthday to Bill Berry! :two_hearts:
“Driver 8” - drums :drum: :partying_face:

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August 9
1999 - R.E.M. played the Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA
There is an archived recording of this show here.
“The first show of the North American leg of the Up tour, and it’s an absolute gem. The setlist includes tour rarities ‘E-Bow the Letter’ and ‘Low Desert’, the recording is excellent, and the band are goofing off and in high spirits - see Michael’s stories before ‘Fall on Me’ and during ‘Falls to Climb’, plus the entirety of ‘Its the End of the World’. (Also, note the mislabelling of ‘Find the River’ and ‘Losing My Religion’).”

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13-17 August - 1990, R.E.M. were in the John Keane Studios, Athens, GA, recording tracks for their seventh studio album, “Out Of Time”
Notes from the R.EM. timeline -
Demo Recording Session for ‘Out Of Time’.Tracks recorded: Belong / Texarkana (Stipe vocals) / Untitled Demo 2 / Shiny People (Shiny Happy People) / Me On Keyboard (Me In Honey) / Slow Sad Rocker (Endgame) / Blackbirds (Half A World Away) / Radio - Acoustic (Radio Song (Acoustic Version)) / Near Wild Heaven / Fretless / Forty Second Song / Country Feedback
“Texarkana” (Demo)

“Near Wild Heaven” (Demo)

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21 August 1999
R.E.M. Timeline -
R.E.M. played Midway Stadium, St. Paul, MN

Support: Wilco
Soundcheck: Begin The Begin / Perfect Circle / Wolves, Lower / Lotus
Set: Lotus / What’s The Frequency, Kenneth? / So Fast, So Numb / Train, Train (part) / Fall On Me / Suspicion / The One I Love / Have You Ever Seen The Rain? / Daysleeper / The Apologist / Electrolite / Sweetness Follows / Driver 8 (a capella) (part) / The Great Beyond / Losing My Religion / Find The River / Country Feedback / At My Most Beautiful / Star 69 / Walk Unafraid / Man On The Moon
Encore: Hope (Stipe solo) / Crush With Eyeliner / Gardening At Night / It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
Notes: The encore had to be cut short due to an approaching thunderstorm, so ‘Why Not Smile’, ‘The Wake-Up Bomb’ & ‘Tongue’, had to be cut from the set. During the set trains could be heard going past the venue, so in tribute the band performed a short version of ‘Train, Train’, & Michael sang part of ‘Driver 8’ a capella.
Review by Mark Stevens

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Slightly off topic, but the thunderstorm element of that gig reminds me of this:

(Also, I think you’re at your five consecutive posts limit so I’ll reset you!)

And a longer video, but further away:

And also this:

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@DriverNate Happy Birthday Jonothan!

24 August - 1999
1999 - R.E.M. The Molson Amphitheatre, Toronto, Canada
Support: Wilco
Soundcheck: I’ll Take The Rain (Instrumental, working title ‘Slide Guitar Song’) / Sitting Still / Begin The Begin / What’s The Frequency, Kenneth? / Perfect Circle / Camera / Lotus
Set: Lotus / What’s The Frequency, Kenneth? / The Wake-Up Bomb / Fall On Me / Suspicion / Begin The Begin / Daysleeper / The One I Love / Electrolite / The Apologist / Sweetness Follows / The Great Beyond / Man On The Moon / Find The River / At My Most Beautiful / Star 69 / Walk Unafraid / Losing My Religion
Encore: Hope (Stipe solo) / Why Not Smile (Mills & Stipe) / Crush With Eyeliner / Tongue / So. Central Rain (I’m Sorry) / It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
Review here

R.E.M. - 24th August 1999 (Live At Toronto)

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I appreciate it but my birthday isn’t until Sunday. I did see R.E.M. on that day (same tour) with Wilco opening in Raleigh. Lots of highlights from that night, one of which was them breaking out the rarely performed “Camera.”