It’s the End of R.E.M. as We Know It….

 

 

 

 

I started listening to R.E.M. back when I was a freshman in college. It was 1988 and Document was being played across campus. A couple of my friends, Frac and Tyler, had “It’s the end of the world as we know it” memorized from beginning to end. Which is not an easy feat. Every time it played at a party, the two would become the fifth and sixth members of the band, usually in a half to full drunk state.

 

I’ve been an R.E.M. fan ever since. Minus Frac and Tyler’s vocals.

 

It wasn’t until 1996 that I became an even bigger fan.

 

This was the year I got my first full time gig as a newspaper photographer. It was working at the Athens Daily News/Banner-Herald in Athens, GA. The home of R.E.M.

 

The band maintained an office in town at the corner of College Avenue and Clayton Street. They kept a low profile if they were ever in town. You only caught a rare glimpse of Michael Stipe here and there.

 

It wasn’t until October of 1997 that I would get to see all the members of the band. And that was for about five minutes. The most stressful and awkward five minutes of my photographic career.

 

It was the day the band announced Bill Berry was leaving R.E.M.

 

I was sent to their office downtown and kept waiting in the lobby as our entertainment editor interviewed the band. I don’t know how long I sat there, maybe 15 to 30 minutes.

 

As the writer wrapped up the interview, I was escorted into the room. Behind a folding table stood the band, lined up and ready for the firing squad. Me.

 

To their surprise I moved a little to my left and created a diagonal line instead of shooting them straight on. Then the pressure started. I knew I only had a couple of minutes before I got the boot. Problem is, my flash didn’t want to leave. Or fire for that matter. After every picture I had to ask, “Did the flash go off?”

 

I don’t how many shots I got off. Probably not many considering the time constraints. And even worse, probably only half of those were useable.

 

I felt like a true rookie. I’m sure the band thought the same.

 

The photo of the band ran on the front page the next day. I got a call from the band’s office. They loved the photo and wanted a couple of copies. I rushed to Wolf Camera and had a few printed and dropped them off. That was a great little ego boost, especially for a “rookie.”

 

Over the years, that photo has popped up here and there.

 

The first time I saw it was on the VH-1 show “Where are they now?” They showed a panned shot of the front page of the paper.

 

The next time was on the web. It was interview from 2008. Michael Stipe pointed out the picture hanging on the wall in R.E.M.’s office and talked about the day Bill Berry left the band.

 

Now, I find myself posting this picture on a day when the last three members are leaving R.E.M.

 

I still have this photo and I still have the memories of shooting the band that day. I also have a good collection of their music that still gets significant airplay on my itunes.

 

It may be the End of R.E.M. as We Know It. But as long as I have my memories and my music, I Feel Fine.