R.E.M. - Royal Albert Hall

(Broadcast)

24 March 2008 - Royal Albert Hall - London, England

"That song is the song we released on the internet [Final Straw], the week that our country invaded Iraq which is what? Five years ago? Is that correct? Uh and I read the news today, oh boy. When told 4,000 had died, Dick Cheney, the vice-president of the United States said, 'They volunteered'."----
Michael Stipe was speaking at his band, R.E.M.'s one-off date to celebrate the birthday of the Institute Of Contemporary Arts [ICA] held at the Royal Albert Hall this week. After the comment, R.E.M. performed Losing My Religion. They played a short set as part of four acts including openers Foals, The Duke Spirit and Robyn Hitchcock. All profits from this show goes to the ICA.
R.E.M. chose this show, broadcast by BBC Radio Two on March 25, 2008, to showcase their latest album, Accelerate. Already spoken of by music critics as a return to the indie sound of Out Of Time and the harder slice of life of Murmur. Is it enough to motivate a new generation? R.E.M. put on a great show. Losing My Religion came across as caustic and dark. Stipe sounds relaxed and was talkative. Perhaps some of Patti Smith's stage moves have rubbed off. All the songs seemed speeded up which is great. R.E.M. are a rock band after all. Accelerate seems like the album R.E.M. had to make in a world like today's. Their contemporaries from the original indie scene have all faded. Lost. It will be harder to start a movement to change society now. People are so disenchanted with politics. But as in all movements, it has to start with one man, then one group of men. It looks like [from the song titles of the new album], R.E.M. are taking a tentative first step, making the connection between real life and their music to try to find the way again. Thanks to paul_b35_UK for sharing this FM stereo recording. Excellent cover art was done by Jamie Lochhead. The encore is cut as these tracks were broadcast separately. The final song of the encore has yet to be broadcast.
- The Little Chicken

01 Intro
02 Living Well's The Best Revenge
03 Accelerate
04 Drive
05 (chat)
06 Man Sized Wreath
07 Electrolyte
08 Houston
09 Hollow Man
10 Supernatural Superserious
11 Final Straw
12 Losing My Religion
13 The Great Beyond
14 I'm Gonna DJ
15 Horse To Water
16 Imitation Of Life
17 Until The Day Is Done

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