R.E.M. (Durban)

This was always going to be a weird one. R.E.M. were the one thing that made me feel less shackled to this town at a time when I irrevocably was. Out Of Time came along at the same point as my self consciousness, which brought with it a painful realisation that Durban was so not cool, it didn't even qualify as cool by being uncool enough – you know like those crazy little American towns do. It was just a place you had to escape. Yet here I was seeing a band I'd existed inside for the best part of 10 years, for the first time, in this setting. Strangely fitting you might argue. As was the rain. Man did it piss down.

The Absa Stadium, formerly known as King's Park, has a capacity of 52,000 and dear old Durbs managed to muster 11,000 for our one night in their presence (they sold out two nights in Cape Town and Johannesburg). A mixed crowd, producing its ugliest colours when a bloke behind me yelled 'Wrong continent, Michael!' after the singer had completed the duo he calls his State of the Union address - I Wanted To Be Wrong followed by Final Straw. It makes you delight in the existence of the word 'buffoon'.

But the story is by no means bleak. This Tuesday night in Durban, South Africa, R.E.M. did what any sane person would do under the circumstances. They drank. And we reaped the benefits. 'We were just getting fucked backstage and … we're gonna play a lot more than we expected tonight!' And did they. The bones of the worldwide Around The Sun tour set was always going to make for a spectacular night but just five songs in (not counting the sparkling rendition of Did You Ever Feel The Rain which gained Michael the crowd's unadulterated adoration) we were treated to Maps And Legends – 'This is one of our favourite songs, we've only played it four times' – recorded in McCabe's Guitar Shop in California, 1987. We then slid and groaned our way through the darkly brilliant High Speed Train, which was supported by maybe the best display of lighting in what was a superb night visually.

On that note, Mr Stipe is looking more spectacular - more in, and out, of his own skin - more the rock star, than ever before. The painted Zorro-like mask across the top of his face seems like a direct challenge to today's young rockers, who have just caught onto his understanding of the power of eyeliner.

Electrolite set the scene for a trio of tracks which can be called nothing other than epic. I may have been the only one who knew what was coming when I saw that loudhailer, but it made it all the sweeter. As did the positioning of Stipe's most burning personal manifesto, Walk Unafraid, amongst distinct crowd pleasers.

Cue the encore. Three songs in we're sticking to the plan but Michael is reaching for his beer with more and more regularity. He asks someone in the crowd to raise that banner he's seen earlier. It's sodden and crumpled but it's soon onscreen. Find The River. 'We haven't played this for years but we're going to play it today.' I didn't know whether to open my eyes, or close them. I can't remember what I settled on. A rocking tune from Fables Of The Reconstruction - 'We thought backstage it's probably not a good idea to play this next song, but then we thought, to hell with it!' - brought us to the electrifying I'm Gonna DJ (at the end of the world); the one that just wouldn't fit on Around The Sun. I hope it never fits anywhere. By the time they'd closed with Man On The Moon and thanked us for the banner, the rain, the night, I realised it may be Durban, but I am in the place where I should be.

Set List

I Took Your Name
Bad Day
Animal
Boy In The Well
Maps And Legends
High Speed Train
The Great Beyond
The Outsiders
Electrolite
Undertow
Leaving New York
Orange Crush
I Wanted To Be Wrong
Final Straw
Imitation Of Life
The One I Love
Walk Unafraid
Losing my Religion

Encore:
What's The Frequency, Kenneth?
Everybody Hurts
Drive
Find The River
Life And How To Live It
I'm Gonna DJ
Man On The Moon