REM Hyde Park July 2005

REM in Hyde Park July 2005 - a gig that had to be postponed due to the London terrorist attack. Firstly - congratulations to the organisers, promoters and performers who were so quick to rearrange the concert in the light of the atrocities in the city on the 7th - they must have worked really hard to ensure that the REM gig went ahead in the end despite the devastation caused by the attacks. Also a very big thank you to the Showsec staff who handled stewarding and security at this gig - we think that it takes strength and courage to carry on regardless following such a major incident and to show that we will not be cowed and we will not be beaten. We also think that stewarding and security have a tough job to do at the best of times - their work has just got even harder - thank you all for turning up to work at such a difficult and uncertain time and for doing your bit in helping to keep us safe.

The Star of the show
The atmosphere was orange....
"I see no ships..."
The gig opened with Jonathan Rice
Idlewild replaced the Zutons - did a pretty nice set too
Riggers: One of the many unsung heroes
With Patty Smith - odd very odd

It was a great day and a great gig - the sun shone and the crowd loved it. We were in the Gold Circle and as such the queue was small and searches efficient and speedy - we hope that this was replicated at the other entrances. Of course being in the Gold Circle also mean that there was a good view of the stage and the sound was good - we got what we paid for and had a great day - REM being one of our favourite bands meant that expectations were high - they certainly didn't let us down.

Despite searches on entrance I think it would be quite easy to get contraband in through the security checks but I'm not sure what they can do about it if people are determined to smuggle things in. Given the number of people who go to these gigs and the sheer logistical difficulties there comes a point where the crowd themselves do have to take some responsibility. Overall it was a very mellow crowd in the Gold Circle but as always there are an element of idiots and there was a minor amount of bottle throwing but nothing unmanageable. We didn't see any safety information and none was given out - we do think this was an omission and one that really ought to be addressed - the crowd really does need information and it's a bit too late once the unthinkable happens. It doesn't need to be much and it doesn't need to be complicated - but it does need to happen.

We didn't see any free drinking water - that's not to say that it wasn't there but it wasn't obvious and in the heat we felt it should have been.
We didn't notice facilities for disabled people either.

On entry to the site we looked for the loos - two female with huge queues - three male with no queues!! What was that all about........ there certainly didn't appear to be enough (having said that it seems to be par for the course for females everywhere so it's not peculiar to gigs!)

All in all there was very little to complain about being in the Gold Circle but is there a huge difference for those who are not? - We had one reviewer on the site who said that Hyde Park was a terrible venue - it seems that this person was in the main area as opposed to the Gold Circle - they said that there were not enough screens and that they couldn't see - they also said that the sound was poor and the signage almost non existent - this doesn't really surprise us but it's a real shame for those who shell out for their tickets and then find they can't enjoy the show - what can be done about it? it strikes us that while people continue to buy tickets in sufficient numbers nothing will change. Are these gigs just too big? We certainly now feel that if we can't get hold of Gold Circle Tickets we won't go because unless you have the strength and stamina to get yourself to the front and stay there for 8 or 9 hours you won't see very much and you have to ask whether it's worth it - we've concluded that it probably isn't.

We do wish these performers would desist from throwing objects into the crowd REM are one of our top favourite bands - this makes it very hard to criticise but hey - they really ought to know better - we just couldn't believe our eyes when at the end of the performance Mike Mills decided to throw (yes throw!!) his wooden stool to the crowd. Mike we love you BUT NOOOOOO this is not a great idea - not a great idea at all - it's dodgy - it's downright dangerous - it winds the crowd up and it could cause injury - DON'T DO IT - PLEASE DON'T DO IT.
On a similar note we get awful sick of performers diving into the crowd (this didn't happen at REM but it does happen at a lot of gigs) Stage diving and crowd surfing are dangerous activities that most gigs try to prevent so we gave this some thought - what we thought was that the people who do this should all be treated the same - audience and performer alike - therefore they should be removed from the crowd and sent out (the long way!) with the usual three strikes and your out! Not so glam then eh!!!!!

As for the show itself? well - it's really, really rare that performers these days don't put on an amazing performance - and as you'd expect from a band of the calibre of REM they stormed it - an opening rendition of 'Bad Day' set the scene closely followed by 'What's the frequency Kenneth' certainly sent the crowd into a frenzy of anticipation from which the guys didn't disappoint.

There was a really odd guest appearance by Patti Smith to duet on 'E-bow the letter' the sound was awful - the mike was at the wrong height and she couldn't be heard - the crowd still seemed sympathetic and forgiving though.

For a little over two hours Michael Stipe's raw energy and passion was breathtaking to watch - and boy - was he in good voice - the rendition of 'Leaving New York' and 'Everybody Hurts' was stunning - making the hair on the back of your neck stand up and leaving you with a tingle at the lyrical quality and what it evokes.

A great lights and video show thoroughly complimented the on stage activity - through to the totally scintillating 'Orange Crush' colour co-ordination. There were just too many show stopping moments to isolate any one as being the one that stood out above any others - 'Losing my Religion' and 'End of the World' and of course 'Man in the Moon' were delivered - and boy were they delivered!

The fabulous and evocative "Nightswimming" was saved for the encore (well - what passes for an encore these days!) with Stipey sitting on Mills's piano before sliding off and giving him a snog!

Stipey's blue stripped appearance for this tour added to the sense of theatre and nodded in the direction of the bizarre yet beautiful which perhaps best sums up this enigmatic, talented and unique individual - 'it's the end of the tour as we know it' he said - we can't wait for the next one.