REM, Lancashire CCC, August 24th
Michael Stipe and co wowed Old Trafford
Tuesday, 26, Aug 2008 11:39
inthenews.co.uk's Emma Furze is wowed by Michael Stipe and co during a stunning Old Trafford show.
Kings of college rock REM proved that they are still a force to be reckoned with on the live stage, making support acts Guillemots and Editors seem like novices when it comes to putting on a show.
The three-piece bounded on to stage in spectacular fashion providing fans with a fast-paced opening to two hours of unadulterated fun. They have come a long way since they began in Athens, Georgia and still know how to wow a crowd.
For someone who repelled the spotlight in the early days, frontman Michael Stipe seemed at ease with his crowd playing much the showman. It is perhaps fitting that their new album is called Accelerate as the 48-year old bounced around the stage with all the energy of someone half his age.
Although perhaps less adventurous than the North American leg of the tour, REM played tracks which spanned their 28-year career; 7 Chinese Brothers, These Days and Pretty Persuasion are not tracks associated with the usual REM setlist, yet were warmly received by the 20,000 strong crowd.
Highlights included an acoustic rendition of Let Me In, the group's homage to the late Kurt Cobain. Huddled around Peter Buck on the piano, Stipe and his fellow band members crooned flawlessly through the ballad.
A haunting rendition of Drive also proved a hit with the audience, with many imitating Stipe's trademark hand gestures.
Bassist Mike Mills interacted with the crowd as Stipe taunted the security staff by running in to the audience. Peter Buck, the band's lead guitarist, played his usual cool self, rarely cracking a smile but enjoying himself nonetheless.
Crowd pleasers are always an annoyance at REM concerts, but an unfortunate necessity. The Great Beyond, Imitation of Life and the band's quintessential anthem Losing My Religion were among those which satisfied the less diehard fans in the Manchester crowd. Buck must be the only performer on earth who can take a mandolin to the stage and make it look cool.
No REM gig would be complete without some political statement being made and this was no exception. "We have hated our government for a very long time," said Stipe before launching in to Ignoreland, a hard-hitting attack on the state of US politics.
Then for the obligatory encore. It's the End of the World as we Know it (and I Feel Fine) is a lyrical challenge for even the most dedicated of fans, but Stipe sailed through it flawlessly before lapping up the last moments of attention from his adoring fans. Man on the Moon was the grand finale which saw Mills grinning as he watched the audience sing his backing vocals to the song for a change.
So, after the band's last tour was marred by illness and bad album reviews, REM have proved in 2008 that living well really is the best revenge.
Emma Furze