“A brilliant night’s rock was then ultimately climaxed with heartfelt thanks from Shannon, [and] a promise to return next year to tour “Life’s Rich Pageant” (my favourite R.E.M album! Yay!)”… These were my comments from one of my top gigs of last year, namely the project band of Bob Mould’s right-hand man Jason Narducy and imposing, lantern-jawed US actor Michael Shannon (plus seriously proficient backing band) tearing Bristol Thekla a new one with their rendition of hallowed US alt-rock pioneers R.E.M’s “Fables Of The Reconstruction” album, plus a smattering of deep cuts from the Athens, GA. legends’ back catalogue for good measure (gig 1,397). No way was I going to miss a subsequent run-through of “Pageant”, my favourite R.E.M album (hell, one of my favourite albums by anyone, full stop), so as soon as this gig was confirmed waay back last November, they had my money!
Anticipation high, I set off early to try to get a decent spot at 6.30 doors, ultimately securing a stage front position underneath the hanging speakers, house right. Chatted with folks down the front, including a young female couple who were primarily there to support Sloan bassist Chris Murphy, in the band tonight! Jeremy arrived shortly afterwards and we caught up before roadies did a final line check just after ¼ past 7! This was going to be an early one, then… Sure enough, the lights dimmed and a mournful “Abide With Me” emanated from the PA as the band took the stage at 7.30 prompt, launching into the rock-solid beat of “Pageant” opener “Begin The Begin”, Shannon’s low, gravelly tones already a feature and suiting the number perfectly. “Begin” segued seamlessly into the hurtling rollercoaster of a blistering “These Days”, likely the best double-whammy opener I’ve seen “live” this year, causing me to break out into as much whirling dervish dance as my 61 year old bones could muster. “So amazing to be back on this boat!” exclaimed Shannon at its’ conclusion, “we’re glad to start [our UK tour] here!” Glad to have you, folks!
“Life’s
Rich Pageant” stands out for me in R.E.M’s canon not just due to an utterly
stellar set of tunes (“Side 1” in particular featuring 2 of my 3 all-time
favourite R.E.M tracks), but also by the fact that it feels like a band finally
finding their identity, a crossroads album transitioning the band from their
more introspective jangly/ gothic Americana roots, and into a more thrillingly expansive
rock dynamic, with Michael Stipe’s vocals particularly much more to the fore,
paving the way for their elevation to stadium level fame. It’s an album I
return to again and again, so was hoping Shannon, Narducy and co. would step up
accordingly and do it proper justice “live”. And hoo boy, did they, and then
some… “Fall On Me” was plaintive, yearning and utterly beautiful; “Cuyahoga”
the majestic highlight of the “Pageant” run through for me, both elegiac and
euphoric in equal measure; and “the dance song” of “Underneath The Bunker” saw
Shannon throw shapes behind the squeezebox flamenco rhythm and Narducy’s
haunting “whoo” backing vocals, rounding off side 1 of the album – or, “the
Dinner Side” as Shannon had recently been advised by a reporter at Newport Folk
Festival (“you knew already? Oh…”). “The Supper Side” continued with quality
levels maintained; “Flowers Of Guatemala” was a mournful breath-catching elegy,
followed by the banjo intro to a brilliantly jaunty and silly “I Believe”; “What
If We Give It Away” was preceded by Shannon advising, “a bit of trivia – R.E.M
never performed this “live”!”, a punter then shouting “fuck ‘em!” and Shannon
brilliantly retorting with, “we’ll relay the message…”; and the unhinged punk
rock of “Just A Touch” required – and received – a similarly dynamic, wild-eyed
performance from the singer.
The shortest of breaks, following a rapturous ovation at the end of album closer “Superman”, saw the band back on, promising to, “go all over the catalogue”. The early descending Byrds-ian jangle of “Gardening At Night” was an irresistible groove; “Murmur”’s “Moral Kiosk” saw both Shannon and Narducy indulge in Adam Ant-like yodels over its’ angular, off-kilter rhythm; and “How The West Was Won” a brooding spaghetti Western soundtrack shimmer. Following an unplanned “Burning Down” (Shannon deadpanning, “we’re on a boat, and this is about a tragedy on a boat”) we got the news we were hoping for, Shannon coyly asking, “would you like us to come back and do “Document”?” to cheers of acclamation, the subsequent “taster” of a savage, cascading “Fireplace” drawing an exemplary elastic-limbed performance from drummer Jon Wurster. The singalong “Great Beyond” then rounded off a quite stunning 1 ½ hours of prime rock, this brilliant band playing these hallowed tunes with both reverence and (dare I say it?) ownership.
A
4 song encore saw Shannon and keyboardist Vijay Tellis-Nayak deliver a
beautiful, affecting “Nightswimming” before a couple of juddering wah-wah-led “Monster”
numbers rather incongruously rounded off proceedings (“Monster” never being
amongst my favourite R.E.M albums, I must admit…). Never mind, this was still a
fabulous performance and for me, likely the best set of 2026 not by American
Hi-Fi…! I grabbed a list and chatted with folks, receiving compliments on how
much I’d been dancing (my shirt? Full Cleo – and then some!). Bade farewell to
Jeremy before brief conversations with both Narducy and Wurster, got my list
signed by both and a pic with the drummer (whom I've also seen behind the kit for Superchunk and Bob Mould!), then peeled off my soaking teeshirt and drove home, back in the
‘don for an early 10.30. As I said, quite the most stunning set, even better
than my very high expectations, with the band doing “Pageant” full justice.
Back next year with “Document”, it seems, and, in Shannon’s words, long may
this “strange and beautiful adventure” continue!
