LIVE: REM at the Royal Albert hall (24/03/2008)

Fundraising gigs always bring out the best in people. Audience members spend way over the odds for a ticket to see acts they would normally not get a chance to see, and the acts themselves try and do something unusual or rather special, to the delight of the crowd. Of course, when the act in question is REM, there is very little more that the band have to do than come on stage in order to get the crowd into a frenzy.

It’s fair to say that the Royal Albert Hall is not the kind of venue you would expect a band like REM to play, but despite this, the foursome from Georgia pulled out a combinations of classics and new tracks from their 14th (that’s right, 14th!) studio album, Accelerate.

Performing to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Institute of Contemporary Arts (who, like REM, are known for their thought-provoking work and subtlety), the concert saw Stipe, Mills and Buck sing, dance, philosophise and generally rock out for an hour of non-stop entertainment. Playing old faves like Losing my Religion and The Great Beyond, as well as the new single Supernatural Superserious, it was clear that the band were enjoying the cosy surroundings of the Royal Albert Hall as much as the audience.

While some people may criticise that just 16 songs in the space of an hour is a bit of a poor show for a band of this size and stature, the fact remains that REM are still one of the most interesting and engaging bands to see perform, and as the last chords of Man on the Moon rang out on Sunday night, its fair to say that no one was leaving this gig disappointed.

Want some more REM love? Visit their really rather splendid website here. REM’s new album, Accelerate, comes out on 31 March. For more information about the good work the Institute of Contemporary Art does, click here.