no R.E.M in 2013

[eFestivals]

... or ever again.

They've just announced that they've split up.

[Madyokel]

... or ever again.

They've just announced that they've split up.

[Pinhead]

No band ever splits up. They just wait a few years until they can maximise the returns from their comback tour once they've run out of money . . . .

[rexclark]

I was never a huge fan but they were pretty decent live and you knew they'd put on a good show.

[stylishkids]

Gutted and can't believe I never got the chance to see them again. Was dissapointed in 07 when their tour clashed with the Leeds festival. I'm wishing I just sold my tick and went to go watch R.E.M now

But as someone as said above "When you know when to leave the party". I think it's probably right that they've called it a day and not gone making mediocre music like The Rolling Stones for example. But it would have been nice for them to do one last tour.

Still look at that catalogue. Murmur, Life's Rich Pageant, Reckoning, New Adventures, Automatic for the People, Out of Time. IMO I'd say only The Beatles have bettered that. A fantastic band.

[Jackmypie]

Awesome band, sucks that I never got to see they guys live ! My guess is that they'll reform in about 5 years time. So RIP.. for now..

[mike46]

My friend text me about this earlier, along with the line "get these to have a reunion show at Glasto's 50th..."

Sad news though

[LondonTom]

No band ever splits up. They just wait a few years until they can maximise the returns from their comback tour once they've run out of money . . . .

[The_Spoon]

Damn thats a real shame, they were one band I always wanted to see live but never got around to doing so....

[Yokel Again]

My favourite band ever by a country mile. The soundtrack to school, college, uni, and early adult life. Was my 1st ever gig in 1995 at Cardiif Arm's Park. Probably the best day of my teenage life at the time. Was lucky enough to see them 10 times down the years, and even on the last tour they were an amazing live band (try '39 Songs' live CD - amazing). Ok, the albums generally weren't quite as good after Bill Berry left, but they still had enough golden moments on them to keep on with.

My only regret is that I got so drunk at their 2003 headline set that I can't remember any of it! Apart from moshing down the front (those were the days) and the Mrs going crowdsurfing during ITEOFWAWKI!

I wish they could have done Glasto just one more time.

RIP REM - thanks for absolutely everything.

[eFestivals]

Still look at that catalogue. Murmur, Life's Rich Pageant, Reckoning, New Adventures, Automatic for the People, Out of Time. IMO I'd say only The Beatles have bettered that. A fantastic band.

I'm always amazed that in lists like this of REM, hardly anyone ever mentions Document.

I'm not a huge fan tho I've always enjoyed them, but to me that was the album that the REM fans just wouldn't shut up about. Perhaps that was simply a consequence of that time.

[fullfathom5]

One of the most influential seminal bands of all time. I'm gutted I'll never get to see them live again.

RIP REM.

[eFestivals]

at that time, REM weren't particularly well known outside of the US. Wasn't Document the last album before they became huge? The bulk of REM fans started listening after that

that's how i remember it, anyway

I'm like you... not a massive fan. I bought Green when it came out, and played it to death, stayed with them for a while... loved their Glastonbury shows..(in particular, when they played Everybody Hurts, and I was with my brother who was having a particularly diffcult time in his life the). then they seemed to start treading water. You could predict the chords that the songs would be written around..

yep, I'd guess that's right - I first came across them via a friend of a friend who just wouldn't shut up about them, tho I'd not heard of them at the time. I've got Document on tape somewhere, and I guess I got that off that same guy (tho I can't be sure now).

Like you, I also bought Green (the only one I have bought) - I'm guessing off the back of liking Document - tho I've never much liked it. There's other REM albums I prefer.

[tolywoly]

Sad news.

Managed to catch them live a couple of times over the years. If I hadn't I'd be even more gutted about never now having the chance.

Given their age and personalities I can't see a reunion in 5-10 years. It seems pretty final. Maybe for Live Aid 2025.

Edited September 22, 2011 by tolywoly

[NeilVJ]

Quite simply the best live band I have ever seen. Never had the chance to see them at Glastonbury but bet it was very special. A great band who despite becoming huge have managed to retain the ability to still be relevant to proper music fans.

[redmosquito]

Sad news. Saw them at my first Glastonbury in 03 and they were superb. Always wanted to see them again too. Gutting.

[The Nal]

Pink Floyd did? (Ok they reformed for Live 8 but that's it). (but yeah for the most part your right )

Sucks to not even have a farewell tour, ah well such as life. Hopefully they will get back together in a few years

[Mardy]

Never really got them. Just slightly before my time, so by the time I was into music, they were past their best. But you know, as I understand it, they've not done much of note for the last what? 15-20 years?

I\m sure they're good enough, I just never really got them, wrong band at the wrong time. Much like my relationship with the Smiths.

But you know, increasingly I'm going for a 5 year shelf life on 99% of bands.

[Craigston]

Sad news. Saw them at my first Glastonbury in 03 and they were superb. Always wanted to see them again too. Gutting.

[tevaburger]

i agree with Neil on the under-appreciated Document album. Side one of that record is pure brilliance in my opinion.

I was a big fan of them, but this split was quite expected. They don't like touring, I believe Peter Buck has back problems (perhaps a lingering injury from his altercation with a BA flight attendant on a trans-atlantic drink binge about 10 years ago?) and he's comfortable these days doing his own various side projects out in seattle, and they have struggled to put out a decent album since New Adventures in Hi-fi. Some raved about 'Accelerate' but I thought that was just an attempt to pick up some old riffs from past rockier albums and hide them into some new songs. But they influence they've had on a lot of bands was remarkable (including The Nal's heroes, Radiohead). Was lucky to catch them in '03, and I thought that they would definitely be on the bill the next time Radiohead headlined, as a final tribute to a festival that Stipey loved.

They certainly aren't going to be one of those bands that reunites later on to make a few bucks via album/tour, but I can see them somewhere down the line doing a single gig for fun/charity, with Bill Berry back on the skins. That would put a bit of closure on things and I'd love to catch that.

saw Wilco last night in New York and there were quite a few REM shirts about the crowd in tribute...yes, i even had my '03 glasto shirt on

[russycarps]

Still look at that catalogue. Murmur, Life's Rich Pageant, Reckoning, New Adventures, Automatic for the People, Out of Time. IMO I'd say only The Beatles have bettered that. A fantastic band.

[blue6field]

First saw them in '89 touring green, and was one of the best shows I've ever seen!

Never quite the same after that but some fantastic tunes over the years, would have been nice to catch them one last time!!

[Spindles]

I met my ex-wife a week after she had given away her free tickets to the green tour and it was a decade later I finally got to see my favourite band of my teenage years perform (at glastonbury in '99 where they killed it).

For me they were the band that best represented the flavour of counter culture that I bought in to of their time and with their early 90s breakthrough success suddenly the audience of dispossessed was replaced and overshadowed by the middle class, middle england stuck up twats that were the exact opposite of everything the band had represented for a decade. I was glad when they left in their droves (monster, new adventures) but felt that they never again recaptured that 'essential' quality that previous albums had been marked by (although you could add up and reveal to the list of records that, with listening, had what it takes).

I still love REM, I still listen to one of their albums at least once a month, but I could never work out if it was that they lost it when they made it or if I'm guilty of being the worst kind of hipster scum who hates it when a band becomes successful. I think, for me, only Pearl Jam have managed to pull off the consistency of quality and principle. As someone else has said, a 5 year shelf life is as much as you can hope for these days and I can't say another band (except perhaps Radiohead) are worthy of as much respect from me.

[When Jokers Attack]

Gutted I never seen them live. Been listening to them alot lately. Murmur is my favourite album.

[markeee]

Shame,. never seen them live would have liked to