Note to self: bring earplugs

Sooo, I actually haven't told you about the REM concert, have I? I really should have, because it's already starting to get a bit fuzzy. Old age, no doubt!!

It took absolutely AGES to get to Twickenham Stadium - two hours or so, door to door. That included a train ride, a tube ride, a bus ride and a 15-20 minute walk. Bloody hell, what I do to get to see those boys, eh?! Thankfully, it was quicker going home.

Anyway, we got there as the Guillemots were just finishing, so we didn't actually see them because we were getting some drinks and using the loo and I was hemming and hawing over getting a t-shirt or not. I didn't in the end, because I would never wear it. I'm just not a band tee kinda gal.

Editors were brilliant! I recognised most of their songs although I've not consciously listened to them much before this. I guess they must play them lots on the Danish radio station I usually listen to.

It was quite noisy... maybe that's what concerts are supposed to be, but it was quite distracting, so in the end I had to put some rolled up bits of toilet paper in my ears. All better! It took that jarring edge off. So if you forget your earplugs, toilet paper is your friend. ;-)

The REM boys themselves were awesomeness. In a different way than what I've seen/heard before. It was very much a rock concert, very powerful and there were few of the slower songs. I think it might have been experienced better if we had been in the 'pit' - the seating didn't exactly invite you to dance. Well, except for the two b!+£#3$ behind us. They decided that of course they could stand up and dance, thus blocking the view of the people behind them. When they were asked to please sit down, their reply was "well, we want to dance, so fuck off!" Lovely.

Pardon the quality of the pictures, btw. But what can you do with just a phone camera when you're at the opposite end from the stage? That didn't mean there was nothing to look at, though. REM are really great at using the big screens beyond just showing pictures of the band in action. It is an integral part of the show. And an excellent part at that, if you ask me.

I love REM and this was a great concert (although not the best one I've been to), but I'm still waiting to hear Nightswimming live. They keep not playing it! And perhaps I won't ever get to see it, because Tony isn't exactly a fan of them so he'll probably not want to go again. And I wouldn't really want to go alone!

Oh! One funny thing about Twickenham; it is really close to Heathrow Airport, so planes kept flying overhead. I was wondering if the people in them could hear, or atleast, see that there was a party going on below...

I've experienced REM at three different types of concert now, festival (pouring rain!), indoor concert arena and now at a stadium concert. The first one (the festival) is still my favourite. Maybe because I got within eye contact distance of Michael Stipe? Or because it was the first one? Perhaps it was the fact that we had been waiting in the rain all evening for them to begin and it kept on raining, but it just didn't matter.

If you want to read a more indepth description of the Twickenham concert, go here.

Set list:
1. Living Well Is The Best Revenge 2. These Days 3. The Wake-Up Bomb 4. What’s The Frequency, Kenneth? 5. Drive 6. Man-Sized Wreath 7. Disturbance At The Heron House 8. Ignoreland 9. Walk Unafraid 10. Hollow Man 11. Fall On Me 12. Electrolite 13. The Great Beyond 14. I’m Gonna DJ 15. Exhuming McCarthy 16. The One I Love 17. I’ve Been High 18. Let Me In 19. Horse To Water 20. Bad Day 21. Orange Crush 22. Imitation Of Life

Encore

23. Supernatural Superserious 24. Losing My Religion 25. Perfect Circle 26. Country Feedback 27. It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) 28. Man On The Moon

#remlondon