Then amidst a frenzy the lights dimmed and the opening bars of Begin The Begin fired up. In a set changed round from Glastonbury there were "lost" classics such as Drive, Fall on Me and after the disappointment of it being missed at Glastonbury, Orange Crush.
Michael Stipe was in devastating form. He claimed responsibility for the weather saying he had had a talk with the man upstairs. He also got rapturous applause claiming that God had used to be a woman.
He repeated his assertion that Losing My Religion was our song not theirs and the crowd went into major singsong overdrive as if to prove them right.
The encore was definitely the hightlight though. After coming back on to state they had been allowed to play for longer they launched into the anthemnic Everybody Hurts, then into Imitation Of Life, One I love and End Of The World. What other band can boast an encore like that.
At nearly two hours long it was still over too soon. The crowd left in euphoria wondering when they would see them see again.
Another 4 years would definitely seem like a lifetime.
review by: Paul Heyes
photos by: Luke Seagrave