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Rating: Towards the end of 2004, I heard news that gave me goosebumps!
R.E.M., one of my favorite bands, after the release of "Around The Sun," would hold a concert in Milan, my city. Fresh from the adventure in Padua 2003, I was really thrilled at the idea of participating. The date was set for January, and in procuring the ticket, there were moments of great tension. We were indeed forced to run at the pace of Olympic sprinters to four different ticket outlets before finding them! We didn't want to give up, and finally, we found them near the Piazza Duomo metro. I still remember the big sigh of relief I let out! It's worth noting this anecdote dates back to three months before the date of the event, in October (!).
After a long and anxious wait, the fateful day finally arrived. I had to make considerable efforts to convince my partner to go to the concert venue, the Forum di Assago (which unfortunately doesn't have impeccable acoustics), three hours before the start time, set for 9 PM, as, despite appreciating the band from Athens, he's not exactly as fanatic as I am. I was too keen on securing a spot in the front rows! As had happened in Padua, the gates opened with considerable delay. The only not entirely negligible difference was the temperature. Two years prior in July, there was a Saharan heatwave, whereas here the temperature was near zero! You could see a long line of people of different ages shivering in the Milanese fog. But we were quite stoic, and a bit of cold certainly wouldn't intimidate us!
When it was finally possible to enter the venue, we settled in the parterre, chatting and joking between bites and sips of water. My goal of securing a decent spot was achieved! We ended up in the eighth or ninth row. I'd say a good result!
Around 8 PM, to the great roar of the crowd, Michael Stipe appeared on stage! We couldn't believe it, so well in advance! In reality, he was there just to introduce the supporting musician, Joseph Arthur. A decent artist, but nothing exceptional. After his performance, the technicians began setting up the stage for R.E.M. As the minutes passed, the anticipation grew exponentially! We could hardly contain ourselves! The expected 9 PM had long passed, even though it's very unusual to see a concert start at the time printed on the ticket. Finally, at 9:45 PM, the lights went out, and accompanied by the crowd's frenzy, our favorites made their entrance! The stage setup was quite essential, but served its purpose admirably. The concert began in a dynamic way, with the two opening classics "Finest Worksong" and "Begin The Begin" followed by the punk-rock of "Departure," a much-appreciated surprise, and the gritty "Animal." The atmosphere then became calmer and sweeter with "Boy In The Well," one of the best from the latest album, the very rare "Seven Chinese Brothers" from way back in "Reckoning," and "High Speed Train," which I could have done without. The setlist then treated us to the great classic "Everybody Hurts," much extended live, and the first two singles from "Around The Sun," "Aftermath" and the lovely "Leaving New York," and the melancholic "Daysleeper." The tone then picked up with "Imitation Of Life," which Michael introduced by saying it was their first most-sold single in Japan. After it, we were presented with a semi-acoustic trio, first "I Wanted To Be Wrong" and "Final Straw," then the superb "Drive," one of my favorites!
Two drum beats then led us to the warhorse "The One I Love," duly followed by "Walk Unafraid," whose live version is much more beautiful and powerful than the original. Now comes a crucial moment. Michael told us the next song was ours, Peter picked up the mandolin, and off they went with "Losing My Religion." That's when the place exploded! Even the most lukewarm fans started singing at the top of their lungs! At the end, it was time for the false finale. A screen displayed the location (Milan) and a cute dispute broke out between Milan and Juventus fans, while we awaited the encore which started a few minutes later. The beginning was adrenaline-filled, with the epic "What's The Frequency, Kenneth?," "Bad Day," in which watching Michael perform with the harmonica was indeed a laugh, and a very pumped version of "The Great Beyond." Then came one of the best moments of the evening. A magical version of "Country Feedback," with an excellent and melancholic final guitar solo. Our hands were getting chapped from so much clapping! Unfortunately, the concert was nearing its end. There was still time for two surprises: the oldest and the newest R.E.M. song. The first was the driving punk "Permanent Vacation," dating back to 1979, which I wonder why it was never included on an album, and the second was "I'm Gonna DJ," which would later be included on "Accelerate." The evening fittingly concluded with "Man On The Moon," even though it faced the heavy legacy of "It's The End..."
This time it was really over! I would say it was an intense and generous concert, lasting over two hours. Needless to say, had they decided to play for another hour, we wouldn't have cried! It's a shame that some great hits, "So Fast, So Numb" among them (although I have had the chance to hear that in other concerts), were missing from the setlist, which would have greatly pleased everyone, and in their place were duller tracks from the latest album, but I think it's the feeling one experiences at the end of every concert. The band appeared in excellent form. Stipe proved to be an artist who truly gives his all for his audience. His voice is warm, clean, and expertly controlled. His bandmates also held their own admirably.
A memorable experience, which I repeated the following June in Imola, and which I can't wait to repeat next summer, during the "Accelerate Tour"!
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