R.E.M. Shock Fans With Second Reunion In A Year

For the second time in a year, R.E.M. staged a surprise reunion in unexpected circumstances.

On Thursday (27 February), the original band members—singer Michael Stipe, lead guitarist Peter Buck, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Mills, and drummer Bill Berry—appeared at a concert in their hometown of Athens, Georgia.

The American indie rock band hit the stage as actor and singer Michael Shannon and guitarist Jason Narducy (and friends) paid tribute to R.E.M. and their 1985 album, Fables Of The Reconstruction.

Joining the performers as they ripped into a spirited version of Pretty Persuasion (from 1984’s Reckoning), Stipe harmonised with Shannon, Buck and Mills played the guitar, and Berry played the tambourine and drums. You can watch the performance below.

The band said of their surprise reunion:

It was an absolutely electric night last night at the 40 Watt Club as the Michael Shannon - Jason Narducy  + Friends tribute to Fables Of The Reconstruction did not disappoint for one second … the band was phenomenal from start to finish ripping through song after song while guest appearances by Berry Buck Mills Stipe (all at one time on “Pretty Persuasion”) throughout the evening (plus legend Lenny Kaye of the Patti Smith band) delighted the hometown crowd. Who knows what night two, tonight, will have in store… we’ve always known Athens is a magical place, but this is an evening we will not soon forget.

Thursday night’s reunion marked the second time Berry performed with his former bandmates since leaving R.E.M. in 1997, citing the need for a simpler life after having a brain aneurysm on stage in 1995. The prolific rock band released five more albums after Berry’s departure, utilising drum machines and session drummers until amicably disbanding in 2011.

The band’s original lineup hadn’t shared the stage since 1997 (or performed as a trio since their 2011 disbandment) until last June, when they staged a shock reunion after being inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Upon accepting their induction, Stipe said (per Billboard), “Writing songs and having a catalogue of work that we’re all proud of that is out there for the rest of the world for all time is hands-down the most important aspect of what we did. Second to that is that we managed to do so all those decades and remain friends. And not just friends, dear friends.”

He continued, “We are four people that very early on decided that we would own our own masters, and we would split our royalties and songwriting credits equally—all for one and one for all.”

Concluding his speech with a shoutout to the labels that housed their music – I.R.S. Records and Warner Records – and their manager, Bertis Downs, the band took to the stage, picked up their instruments, and Stipe said, “Here’s what we did,” and launched into Losing My Religion.

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