| REM - Sterling Castle 20th July 1999 |
MD Audience Recording - 115 minutes - 8.75
A MD audience recording transferred to CDR
I just got back from watching R.E.M. play the second night at Stirling. It`s a great little town with lots of narrow winding streets overshadowed by the castle on the hill. I went alone but soon met some really friendly local fans, Mick, Nash and Margret, and we met for a drink at a pub beforehand called "the portcullis" which backed onto the stage and according to them you could hear everything from the beer garden (which is what they did on Monday night as they only had tickets for Tuesday and Wednesday). Even the freezing cold weather and overcast skies don`t spoil the atmosphere of the place and it didn`t spoil a fantastic gig either. The guys were on form tonight and got the crowd going with Lotus (far better than on album) as usual, followed by 2 more upbeat numbers, Wake-up Bomb and So fast, so numb (can`t remeber which came first) that got the crowd going and jumping up and down as I worked my way towards the front. From there there was no looking back. All the recent reviews are dead right, they are getting better as they go along. In Glastonbury Michael sounded really nervous as in London, when he was going on about what a big thing it was for them to tour after 4 years off. However last night, Michael more than the rest of the band, looked and sounded extremely confident. I guess that`s what a few weeks worth of adoring crowds does for you. He was joking with the crowd all night. Someone threw a red patterned hat on stage, he wore it briefly only to quickly take it off, joking "It`s mine now" and threw back a white cap some else chucked on saying "here, you can have this one". Partway through Michael made a bit of a faux pas by starting to sing "swing low sweet chariot", which I think is an ENGLISH rugby anthem. He looked puzzled towards Mike when the crowd went nuts (I think singing Scottish anthems, don`t know which ones). It was just like being at a footy match for a minute.
Anyway all the songs were great especially "How the west was won" and "Pretty Persuasion" ,neither of which I`ve heard them play before. The other pre 86 songs "fall on me", "cuyahoga" and "driver 8" were also brilliant. Find the River and Pigrimage would have topped it off nicely but it was not to be tonight.