R.E.M. have finally gotten back together for a surprise performance – their first in 15 years.
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Last night (June 13), the band were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, shortly after their first interview as a group in 30 years aired on CBS.
After accepting their induction at the Songwriters Hall of Fame ceremony, the band pulled out acoustic instruments and treated those in attendance to a surprise performance of ‘Losing My Religion’.
Watch fan-shot footage of the performance below.
Per Billboard, Michael Stipe said on behalf of the band upon their induction: “Writing songs and having a catalog of work that we’re all proud of that is out there for the rest of the world for all time is hands-down the most important aspect of what we did. Second to that is that we managed to do so all those decades and remain friends. And not just friends, dear friends.”
The performance marks the first time the band have performed together publicly since 2009. Prior to their surprise performance and induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the band spoke of a potential reunion with CBS, joking it would have to take a “comet” for them to perform together again.
In February, R.E.M. surprised fans by reuniting during a tribute gig celebrating their classic debut album ‘Murmur’ in their hometown of Athens, Georgia, though they did not perform.
R.E.M. broke up in 2011 after 31 years together. Bill Berry had previously departed the band in 1997, with Stipe, Peter Buck and Mike Mills continuing as a trio. The drummer reunited with the group a handful of times in the ’00s, including a performance at the Georgia Theatre in Athens in 2006.
Last December, Mills revealed that there are “plenty of vault songs” yet to be released from R.E.M.’s catalogue. In 2022, however, Buck reaffirmed the band’s split was permanent after Stipe confirmed the previous year that they would “never reunite”.