I missed the Blue Aeroplanes on that 'Green' tour. I was on a coach trip and we didn't get in to the Apollo until the support had virtually finished. That would have been a cracking time to have seen them; just after 'Swagger' was released. Ah well.

Me and MrsW were at the REM Old Trafford gig! The Zutons were on, too: An excellent day's entertainment, that was - and a chance to walk on the sacred Lancashire county ground turf, even though it was covered in plastic matting to protect the hallowed pitch.

I wonder if REM will do a farewell performance anywhere? Get Bill Berry onstage for one last time. I rather doubt it though.

Sad day....
What a great band!!! Given this world some great tunes!!!

I saw them at live8, they were fantastic, Monster was a real musical memory of my childhood, my Dad really loved that yellow tape!

Their last 3 albums are not bad at all, but I must admit I hardly ever listen to them. I saw this coming somehow, I thought it was weird that they didn't go on tour with this album.
Still I'm feeling sad, to think I won't ever see them live again... I have such good memories of their live shows... I've seen them 6 times, 5 times @ the Werchter Festival and once in Antwerp. The first show I saw was in 1989 , they played in the afternoon. I don't remember a lot of that show, they played a lot of the Green-album, Michael had red hair and I spotted Peter Buck walking around during the Pixies-set. Second show was in 1995. This is my favorite REM show ever: I had a spot not so far away from the stage (I could actually see them), great weather, they played a lot of songs of 'Automatic' and some great older songs, everyone singing along, they were at their peak. I also saw Jeff Buckley that year on the side-stage, Michael Stipe was also watching. I also remember after the show there was a horse of the Police running wild and we had to flee, my sister ran into barbed wire, luckily without serious injuries. That on a sidenote
Show 3: 1999, show 4: 2003, show 5: 2005 (Antwerp), show 6: 2005, show 7: 2008. I enjoyed all of those shows, REM was a perfect festival band. At their last Werchter show I had this feeling they wouldn't headline Werchter anymore in coming years, public response to their 'newer' songs was in overall not so good...

I got to know REM when I was 18, 'Green' was one of the albums for me at that time. I started to listen to their older stuff and immediately fell for it. I've been following them ever since. My favorite albums are 'Murmur', 'Life's Rich Pageant', 'Green' and 'Automatic'. I like all their albums, except for the last 3 (those I like less). I'm going to miss them so much...

This is my absolute favorite song of REM: Find The River

The news about REM was the first thing I saw when I turned my mobile back on after arriving home from Atlanta this week, and it was really sad. Not surprising, necessarily, but sad, because it is really the end of a very special part of my life. REM were sorta my Elbow, back in my teens and early twenties - I found them before a lot of my friends did and enjoyed them on my own for a while before people started catching on, just as it has been with Elbow. And, also like Elbow, they captured a time and a frame of mind that grew with me and reflected a lot of what I felt and experienced during that period of my life. I can't even list all the moments I've had in my life where REM were the soundtrack, but there were many.

I hate that they are being looked upon by many people as being a crappy band now. That's just not the case, AT ALL. Anyone who's seen them live in recent years knows that they still had plenty of fire and plenty of chops. In the studio, it was another story, but even having said that, some of their most memorable songs have come from the last 6 or 7 albums they did - you know, all the LP's that the hipster kids think it's cool to hate on now. Around the Sun aside (I really can't defend that one much at all), there were some strong, strong moments, and I thought the whole of New Adventures in Hi-Fi was solid, despite the shellacking it took from most people. I probably play that one, in full, just as often as I play Murmur or Automatic or any of the "older" stuff.

Nobody else in all of music sounds like them, no matter how many have tried to do just that. They were just huge in their abilities and their influence, and I really consider myself lucky to have grown up in a time when they were around. I hope they will all be happy, and that they have at least some inkling of how many people they've reached over the years through their music. They are, were, and always will be among the best bands ever, and I'll miss them a lot.

It came as a real shock to me that R.E.M had split up - although it seems others knew it was around the corner.
I was listening to "I'll Take the Rain" at the time. It was pretty emotional.

I feel a little cheeky for saying this in an Elbow forum - but R.E.M are my favourite band.
I started listening to them only about a year ago, but they've made me see music in such a different way.
"Automatic for the People" is my favourite LP hands down, it's always so fresh every time I listen to it.
I savour every moment of it.
It also holds my favourite song, Find the River. It's such a poignant, melancholy ending and incredible song overall. The lyrics feel so applicable, yet so bizarre.

Perhaps, now that R.E.M have called it a day, Elbow will come out top.
They've got huge potential, and don't seem to be wasting any of it.

Here's to R.E.M and Elbow!

I guess they thought it was the ideal moment for them to stop, now that they're at the end of their Warner Brothers contract.

Mike Mills on Why R.E.M. Are Calling It Quits

Quote:

Anyone who's seen them live in recent years knows that they still had plenty of fire and plenty of chops

They have never disappointed me live, their shows remained amazing until the end…

Quote:

I thought the whole of New Adventures in Hi-Fi was solid,

I like ‘Adventures’ and ‘Monster’ a lot.I know a lot of people don't like ‘Up’ but I really like that one, I think it's an underrated album with songs like Falls To Climb, Sad Professor and Parakeet

Quote:

They've had some ups and downs for sure but even on the 'lesser' albums there was always a gem or two

True. I don’t like ‘Reveal’ as a whole but ‘Imitation Of Life’ and ‘I’ll Take The Rain’ are gems. Same with ‘Man Sized Wreath’ and ‘Supernatural Superserious’ on ‘Accelerate’, which are songs that I really like.

Just stumbled on this thread and found myself reading all about other people's memories of REM, so felt prompted to chip in my twopenn'eth.
REM has always seemed to evoke special memories for me. Mrs FM and I were both introduced to REM about 1990 by my step=daughter's then boyfriend who has fanatical about the band. My wife doted on the boyfriend, and was devastated when he left the scene and married his secretary! But the liking for him lived on through REM.
We have seen them play live twice. The first was on 8th July 2005, at Portman Road football ground in Ipswich. They opened with Everybody Hurts, Michael dedicating it to those killed and injured in the London bombings of the previous day. Just remembering that moment brings huge emotions flooding back, given that I had been so close to the events of that awful day. No piece of music ever moved me to tears before, and that song still has the power to do it even today.
The second time was a happier occasion, at Twickenham on the Accelerate tour. Guillemots and Editors provided the warm-up, and even though we were stuck up in the gods at the far end of the stadium, we still had a great day.
It is a real shame to think that we won't see them again, but life moves on, and so must we. Just be grateful for those memories that we can revisit simply by listening.


When the day is long and the night, the night is yours alone,
When you're sure you've had enough of this life, well hang on
Don't let yourself go, 'cause everybody cries and everybody hurts sometimes