R.E.M. - “What’s The Frequency, Kenneth?” (LIVE @ Cologne, Germany 2001)

[@bloodyscalp94]

Mike Mills absolutely killing that bass tone! Amazing!!

[@devilsoffspring5519]

Yes! It's too low in the mix in the studio version for my taste. It's too easily masked by the heavy guitar distortion, it needed to be louder.

[@mindovermatter6664]

Yeeeeeeeeeees♥️

[@christopherborum6551]

​@@mattyward1979Have you seen the clip of just the two of them doing Nightswimming on the Jools Holland show?

[@gregd2543]

Mike Mills's vocals remind me oc Michael Anthony's vocals on Van Halen

[@perryzadow297]

@@devilsoffspring5519

[@junkyarddog303]

Proper band, proper venue, proper song. Fantastic 🔥

[@peterzang]

Proper word!

[@EdwardBrook-cf5lo]

Nicely said Sir!!😎

[@josejones7025]

Well said indeed

[@James_Waltz]

Mike Mills. Probably one of the best musicians alive to this day.

[@RetroHabit82]

Mike Mills harmonies are untouchable

[@MrCoco60]

Yes very good !!

[@rightcoast7049]

Yupp!! This song wouldn't be the same with out his vocals or bass line!

[@andlidearmadta9680]

As are his shirts

[@michaelconvery8871]

Not bad for two. I’d say the Eagles as five parts are much better. The Beatles were better too.

[@shawnkavanagh2951]

@@michaelconvery8871 Beach Boys

[@vickytaylor9604]

My 2023 obession..R.E.M. Always loved them..My sadness..never saw them live.

[@aussiej2973]

i did mate, the Monster tour mid 90s it was very raw and awesome

[@gulfmarine8857]

I got lucky. My Ex took me to see "em for my birthday "around the sun. Sadly, no Bill Berry. It was still one of my best days like graduating Boot Camp. Yup that's right. Stone Cold REM loving Jarheads exist in the wild✌️

[@jeanrobert7071]

Yah Ive never seen them live either & eirked at outdoor music theater outside Chicago in my summer breake ftom UCLA for 7 Summers, almost 600 shows & I've eeen about 400 on my own. Oh well. Eas in Cologne while I was in the Army & it was an Awwwwseme City 🎶🎵🙌🩵💙👏😎

[@JayZed-tl5bc]

Fantastic!! This song blew me away when “Monster” was released decades ago…and it still makes me want to jump around like I’m 22 again!

[@daviddiamond1128]

monster is the heaviest REM album. 1994 was a great year for music. I remember REM in college early 80's. Miss them.

[@devilsoffspring5519]

Both Dookie and Smash were released in 1994 as well! Too bad I was wasting that part of my life in school. "Irony is the shackles of youth." Still good stuff

[@leokimvideo]

one of the all time great rock songs..killer guitar and vocals

[@JenniferLStraub]

leokimvideo absolutely!

[@SombraPiloto]

Bass line is pretty damn cool too!!!

[@richardburchett]

leokimvideo And Bass!!!!

[@runreilly]

That bassist gives REM such a distinct sound. His high backing vocals. When I was a kid in the 90s I thought there was a girl in the band.

[@Robinssoncravents]

Sure! and surely in my top 5 R.E.M. Favorites songs

[@markhamer4168]

You gotta love Peter Buck. None of the over long , bombastic solos of other guitarists just rock solid riffing!!

[@ricardojmestre]

Totally. He works for the song.

[@conorsmith8551]

He's great

[@paulcarter7352]

Isn't he playing rhythm on the solo?

[@paulcarter7352]

Sorry-take that back!

[@jannepyykko6325]

Greetiings from Finland!

[@annb1]

Please REM for the good of everything in the world...reunite for even one show!!!!

[@stateofmind38]

I heard this song's global radio premiere and have loved it ever since. 30 years and it still rocks ❤️🖤❤️

Definitely , no good fresh bands -- hoping another live band gets born. These guys are aging like me , I'm at gym and don't hear anything decent

[@bigbluegpr]

The bass line has a great groove to it!

[@ricardojmestre]

That's the great Mike Mills on bass :)

[@davidkierzkowski]

Agree

[@asphaltcowboy7567]

He's a wicked bass player.....

[@mikemacmillan778]

Peter Buck is probably the most underrated guitar player in rock history. I’ve so enjoyed his music over the last nearly 40 years

[@busterellis7188]

Without a doubt, my favorite REM song..

[@joaquingibanel5976]

i never understood the frequency and still love it

[@SandraRuz-fh5ip]

me neither 😍 no need to

[@woodypernell416]

@@SandraRuz-fh5ip A bit of a mystery but the news guy Dan Rather was followed by two guys on the street in New York, one kept asking him "Kenneth, what's the frequency?" they then assaulted him. They mistook him for another guy who apparently knew the freq. The story goes much deeper, you can find info online but seems there was another tech guy that had stumbled upon a radio freq (the two who assaulted Rather apparently mistook him for the tech guy) that could zero in on Russian communications. The song was actually written by another band and REM picked it up and added it to the Monster LP. The song title was changed to What's The Frequency, Kenneth. The whole thing is very strange and too much to get into here but worth checking out.

[@DE_O.J.]

Best concert ever in the best location ever, Cologne my beautiful city ❤

[@avenueb]

better than Dusseldorf, that I will give you

[@cythera431]

Love it there. Glad the church was not destroyed in WWII.

[@josejones7025]

Love it Cologne Germany

[@josejones7025]

No musician these days beats mills

[@cythera431]

@@josejones7025 REM had a chemistry that produced 40 years of amazing and innovative music. Each of the 4 members played a unique role.

[@tzimmer38]

Man do I miss this band!! The world is simply a better place because of R.E.M.!!

[@astralkidd]

Back in 93, my fiancé at the time took me to see them for my Father's Day present. Radiohead opened up for them. I'm a heavy metal drummer and I knew their sound man they were using that night. A couple weeks later their sound man sent me a copy of the mixing board tapes of the show. I still have them. What a memory! R.E.M is one of those bands that it doesn't matter what genre of music you're into because they fit right in and can easily match talents. I love them! And this song is an absolute 10!

[@simonquarterman2318]

Takes a special soul to write stuff like this.

[@dereka3341]

R.E.M. was the soundtrack for my college days!

[@ericshaw760]

What a stunning performance.

[@ronaldtant]

Great guitar sound ,great lyrics,just a great ,great rock song.

[@SombraPiloto]

Love Mike Mills bass line and killer tone!

[@parkandharbourproductions]

My favourite bassist

[@ricardojmestre]

He has such a distinctive style

[@listeningtojets]

"You said that irony was the shackles of youth" DAMN that's a good line........

[@swalt13]

REM lyrics were always full of good/poignant/thought provoking lines. Quoted them for my senior quote in my high school yearbook.

[@dawnd5761]

Omg.. aint it!!... so totally wish I was there and just totally realized I have been making up My Own lyrics for the last 30 years! I knew it had something to do with the TV reporter I didn't know the whole story and a sad story it is

[@sexobscura]

@@dawnd5761 yes, the REM story is *very* sad indeed

[@darinwestcott9041]

I prefer "withdraw in disgust isn't the same as apathy"

[@DerekCullenOutdoors]

And there was me all these years singing “you said that Arnie put the shackles on you” 😂

[@jeniferpavek1773]

I’m old, grew up in 70’s, I admit I’ve gone through country music, disco …. I didn’t even know who these guys when they were popular.. but I do love these guys, snow patrol, Keene etc..

[@kenmartin2035]

Vince TOTALLY gets it! I've always held ultimate respect.

[@YoTigerYo]

I will always remember seeing them at the B&L Warehouse in 1982

[@jackharper82]

I was there, first row... 22 years and I can still remember it like yesterday. Fantastic show and what an insane location in front of the majestic cathedral. And the whole thing was entrance free! They closed it after roughly 20.000 people showed up. Opening Act was Seeed, incredible show as well!

[@EnzoFerenczyo]

So German, lol. Great people, a much maligned, and deprecated people. I am Hungarian and German, so I'm a bit of a rebel, a musician and also an engineer, a wicked combo. My grandfather was a pianist in the Berlin Harmonic Orchestra, so I get a bit of his genes I guess, I've played guitar since I was 12, that's why I connect to this.

[@markfancher5676]

Is so great to see people that know rock and roll when they hear it

[@jackharper82]

What a helpful and important comment to my genuine feeling of happiness remembering this special day. Thank you, you brought us all closer together.@@EnzoFerenczyo

[@jackharper82]

These are the moments your mind will always go back to. Rock on!@@markfancher5676

[@EnzoFerenczyo]

@@jackharper82 Is that sarcasm? If so, well done, if not my BAD

[@theoppiesghost]

the boys from Athens, Georgia rock!!! Mike Mills just kills on this song. great musician

[@Whatever___XYZ918]

The reunion we actually wanted

[@EmmanuelleLunada2010]

Gotta love Michael's smile at the end of the song. Anyway, great performance of a great band.

[@WilliamYoder72]

That bass is sooooo good.

[@petergreen2552]

Another band I'll always regret never seeing live.

[@seanoconnor2531]

i did at two very different times in their career, one early and one late. you didn't miss much as they never had a great stage personality. the first time was fun because i was in a tribal youth faze and felt these were important bands i was following (you know what i mean?). the later show was bland, as the songs were not extended nor jammed out nor do i think they were able to . they stopped at the right time.

[@stevenewman100]

That's too bad. I saw them live 11 times and they were excellent. They were great to the end--or near the end. Their 2008 Accelerate show (at the United Center) was the second-best concert of the bunch.

[@janvermin4729]

I am so lucky that I have seen them at Torhout Werchter in 86 and in Utrecht 89

[@griffin812]

@@janvermin4729 Me too, the Green tour '89 right before high school graduation for me.

[@jutahbagels5805]

I saw their first four tours of the US. Really special band.

[@lauraobrien2047]

Please bring back this music...good songs/artists are few and far between these days

[@paulconrad7649]

God I love the addition of the keyboards to this song. Fills it up incredibly. I wish every top band had keyboards. Amazing!

[@joaquingibanel5976]

World undestimates how REM, staying true to their principles, opened the way to all the grunge movement in the 90s, they were "there" first and Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Alice in Chains ( and many more) in a clear or uncounscious way, just followed these guys path, and clearly took it to another level. From "Orange Crush" or "the one I love" to "smells like teen spirit", "alive" or "would" theres is only a clear path to follow. Hats off to the guys from Athens GA, to the guys from Seattle WA.

[@SandraRuz-fh5ip]

the only thing i need is a Violent Green T-Shirt

[@hughjazzole2037]

nirvana was first i heard them at uscs 1979

[@wide_awake]

Don’t forget the DÜ

[@JohnBarnesmusic]

Mike Mills is so fing great!! Love these guys, but he’s always stood out 4 me.

[@EdwardBrook-cf5lo]

Michael is a great singer and front man!! I have enjoyed listening to REM for over 40 years. 😎🤘🏼✌🏼

[@marklavine5225]

In 2002 I took my 14 year old daughter to see R.E.M. at MSG in NYC. She had previously seen Van, Dylan & CSNY. By the end of the show Michael had his shirt off and was singing lying down. Great show. When it ended she gave me a look that said: "That was a fuckin' concert!". She was right.

[@lewis9702]

You're a cool Dad!!!

[@searing7549]

2003

[@michaelwalker9216]

Great song,no gimmicks,no pretentious rubbish.Positive as well.

[@michaeltaylor8835]

Michael Stipes genius of modern music

[@philjones8609]

How is it freakin possible that 22 people actually gave this a thumbs down?? This is as good as rock n roll gets, in the perfect setting, with some wonderful, beautiful people enjoying themselves!! Just outstanding!!

[@busaman5261]

I can't dance, but this jam makes me move. I love Michael Stipe and REM.

[@mickfunny4185]

busaman5261 ok you know stipe is part or R.E.M. tho

[@lenapter3272]

Make that 23. Please see my post,

[@101Volts]

Believe it or not, your personal preference doesn't necessarily apply to everyone out of over 7 billion people on the whole planet. I enjoy R.E.M. a bit but suppose I were someone who didn't and was trying to enjoy it but for whatever reason or "reasons" it just wasn't working. This is my situation with Stevie Ray Vaughan right now; I admit he was technically talented and I think it's nice seeing the crowd just sitting there, enjoying the concert. I still would like to know how I can appreciate his songs when I considered his music to be so predictable and boring. Help.

[@scootar097]

WGAF...REM baby!

[@BenjaminMills-hd2ie]

Great atmosphere ...... dont forget Joey smashing them drums on point guy has a great sound ...

[@rightcoast7049]

My absolute favorite bass line of all time!

[@devilsoffspring5519]

It's definitely a good one! A mile above the usual basic root-pounding shit. Mike Mills was mighty good ;)

[@ricardojmestre]

Mike Mills is super inventive. Great bass player

[@Crime1912]

Great gig in front of the "Kölner Dom" and I was there...yeah!

[@fedhawley9028]

Frank Pickardt lucky you to have been there

[@fabianschneider1964]

So was I :-) Probably the best concert I have attended. First nice day in early summer, free REM concert and (for whatever reason) right in front of the stage. Wonderful memories...

[@rich13k81]

This was one of the first concerts I ever attended in my youth :)

[@studiomwg]

Me too! Drove from Lausanne just for this. Amazing experience! I can’t believe that this is almost 20 years ago. Wish the video of the entire concert was available in good quality. I want to look for me and my friend in the audience.

[@graham1745]

Love Cologne. Beautiful city, great people, excellent ice hockey team. 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏒🇩🇪

[@edwingarciavelero-pk7hp]

Todos de REM eran y don muy buenos músicos ojalá se reunieran otra vez

[@amishgallagher]

Ya Know, it's very sad. I will never get the chance to see them Live. LONG LIVE R.E.M

[@philswift5056]

So good... one of my favourites from the Monster album. Got to see them live at Western Springs, Auckland, NZ in the 90s.

[@tobypuente8841]

Great lyrics, great band

[@maryl730]

One band I never saw live and could have. This song rules

[@jasegalaxy74]

So fucking good 🤘🏽

[@DavidTransformer]

Instantly recognisable the minute that first chord strikes. Killer guitar and cracking song

[@simonquarterman2318]

Beautiful, powerful. We have to protect this. Mills is so brilliant in all of this.

[@neoneherefrom5836]

Protect this? lol

[@simonquarterman2318]

Big free gig in a major city centre. Not allowed in the UK so if if you get it, protect it.

[@neoneherefrom5836]

free concerts are illegal in the UK?

[@simonquarterman2318]

Not illegal but stopping traffic in a city centre? Not likely under the regime we have.

[@nebraskahusker247]

Was lucky enough to be a teen at the very beginning of this band and had all their albums. Their music was life changing throughout the years.

[@bloffs3352]

For me too.

[@manjufrodo]

What a performance! The drummer is off the hook!

[@taekwanlew]

Bill Rieflin, he was great.. He Died not long after this. Was very ill for a while

[@manjufrodo]

@@taekwanlew I believe that's Joey Waronker on drums in the video.

[@peterselles590]

first show i ever saw live, 23 shows followed this one

[@zethraelofteldrassil3149]

I had the pleasure of seeing them in Buffalo, NY, and this was the song which opened up their show.

[@jasonpeters9716]

Got see REM the night before i graduated High School. May1995. Kansas City. Just a perfect ending. Went into High School with "losing my religion." Ended with "crush with eyeliner"

[@marioklesczewski2270]

this is a fantastic song, and people in Cologne are a fantastic public

[@maureenwelsh5151]

The guitar then drums then boom ,stipes singing ,makes you puker up ,i cant understand! Love his lyrics ,feel like the man on the moon right now , saturday night listening to music from the 90s what else could you want ?

[@gabevachon326]

Met Mike before a DC show in 2005. He was very gracious. Given I was wasted and banned from that bar soon after.😱

[@antoniotropea220]

R:E:M:: one of greatest rock songs.R:E:M: are very famous.They are grateful.

[@homoerectus6953]

i so miss this band.

[@colettelavoie7259]

great band great show.wish they'd get together for a concert this year if possible 😀 👍 😉 😊 🙌 😄 😀

[@markdaly1903]

they hated touring. they had become a festival band and did things on their terms, even calling it a day. the crowds were becoming smaller and smaller. the music industry had changed. they were not going to be heritage act and there last albums did not sell well at all. once stipe started to wear suits on stage....and the ridiculous eye paint/ face paint many fans gave up on them.

[@jaybee9269]

@@markdaly1903 >> I certainly did. R.E.M. died when Bill left.

[@mikepetrie5851]

@@markdaly1903 i gave up when he cut his hair . . .

[@gsmith207]

Love Joey’s drumming on this! He’s so solid. Love that kit too! So simple but sounds HUGE!

[@johnaccardi6448]

Crispier than K.F.C.

[@spiderreed350]

Very Basic.he's right on point for sure.

[@wilfriedzonderman3168]

The drummer make's the groove not the size of the kit.

[@prestoncrewnarrowboaters8619]

Real drummers and bass players are the engine of the the band

[@philomena_def-not-malcolm]

I changed the speed to 0.25 to look for my friends and me in the crowd. I totally destroyed the audio and can't stop laughing now. What a beautiful hot day that was. Thanks REM!

[@briancusworth]

Amazing. Beautiful.

[@Pewtooyou]

I've always said that REM was definitely the best lower energy shows I've ever been too...They were so good!

[@detwins77]

what a bass line.....I know everything in this song is amazing, but in this video the bass is outstanding

[@devilsoffspring5519]

Yeah it is. Glad others are noticing.

[@phnigra111]

That mix is on point!! Everything sounds so clean and tight.. especially that rhythm section 🤘🏼

[@fabiogreen8377]

Love R.E.M. one of my top 5 favorite bands.

[@jojocarter1622]

You said I love 💕 you was the shackles of you

[@simonharris147]

this is the bench mark that all live bands should aim for ,total r and r

[@johnwallace4797]

Saw them in a little auditorium in Charleston, WV right after 'Document' came out...They're still trying to put the roof back on the place...

[@macabrekid5342]

Mountain Stage

[@jackiepaper6464]

Kenneth's frequency is the answer to the universe.

[@amberbuck3043]

Lots of great memories! Especially of this unique performance back in 2001! Wow, what a fantastic show this was! And me waiting for it for hours next to the dome.

[@excarman]

This video by far has the best audio quality, that dose this song justice, its my favorite R.E.M song

[@joshuanewburger]

good call

[@paradoxward2533]

a band with many great songs...., this is my all time favorite and a killer performance......

[@gordonwalker7792]

What a tune-what a great band.........!!!!!!!🙂👍👍

[@paulelliott3220]

Wonderful in every way you cam imagine Performance, music, artist, playing - R.E.M., and damn brilliant

[@bichettevirgino6664]

Merveilleux Mike je l'écoute en boucle sa voie est magique j'adore 🎸🎸🎸🥰🥰🥰

[@jannepyykko6325]

Just a nice song!Greetings from Finland!

[@johnmcgowan1375]

Saw this tour in 1989 in Foxborough....twas the best. REM and U2 owned those daze!!!!

[@eagan79]

Love the upbeat vibe of this song! Good drumming too!

[@christophers5510]

*best version here*

[@acrodave9287]

Good to hear REM enjoying a basic punk influced rocker like they played when they started out; it's always healthy to revisit your roots every so often to remind you of why you did it in the first place. Nicely obscure and malleable lyrics though! Some things never change... 😂

[@GetOnTheFloor82]

One of my top 5 all time songs. Ever. Absolutely rocking tune! Epic!

[@janvermin4729]

What a power, what a performance , what a charisma!

[@fideauone3416]

Sounds good or better live than recorded. That's a real rock band.

[@danielishere734]

fideau one I saw them live mid 90s. this song sounded the best live. Man on the Moon was crowd fav though.

[@chokkan7]

I still remember seeing them when they were on tour for their second album; it was in a small (2000 seat) venue in southern IL. I'd liked Murmur, but didn't expect them to have a great deal of depth at that point, but they amazed everyone that night by playing their entire catalog (at the time), as well as a good half-dozen VU chestnuts. The band, and everyone else there was exhausted by the last encore; still one of the best shows ever for me...

[@dixieh8345]

That's a fact!

[@edwardbrook2029]

I like the slower version better.

[@8kicke]

A real rock band yes, but not agree with the first!

[@rossellacasati1727]

Strepitosi REM❤️❤️❤️e che dire di Stipe, elegante e di classe anchor nel mettersi le mani in bocca😍UNICO!!!

[@rossellacasati1727]

Anche🤣🤣🤣 🤣

[@James_Waltz]

Mike Mills, probably one of the greatest bass players alive.

[@raithrover1976]

One of the greatest backing vocalists as well. R.E.M.'s secret weapon.

[@johnalford6681]

Got backstage when they played Auburn as their last show before going home to do the Atlanta shows on the Work/Documents tour (87). Got to meet/talk with Mike Mills. He was the last one to get on the buses, just a regular down to earth guy.

[@stephenpatterson4119]

Maybe one of the best tunes ever about mindless violence and murder.But it is from R.E.M,some of the most talented song writers/muscians out there..And what a storming live performance this is..I guess if you love this too,like me you hope they will get back together and tour.We can only live in hope.My first favourite Ben Sherman shirt when I was 12 could be described as "Violent Green".Shiney it was too.Michael,s face at the end says it all.He knows they knocked this performance out of the Park,over the hills and far away

[@johnpod]

Mindless violence and murder?

[@stephenpatterson4119]

Kenneth was murdered

[@johnpod]

But that isn't what the song was really about right?@@stephenpatterson4119

[@janvermin4729]

I' ve seen them in 87 in Utrecht. But my god I wish I would had been here!

Awesome!

[@mikedavis1084]

The first experience I had with REM was,about 1984 when I dropped some cid at my house,with folks out of town.Pretty persuasion video blew me away!!

[@GM_-]

"Withdrawal in disgust is not the same as apathy." I've got to use that line sometime.

[@devilsoffspring5519]

I've lost track of the number of times I've used it in the past, usually while refusing weekend overtime :)

[@mbalbaldwin3829]

My gf knows how much i enjoy this song and sent me this live version! Thanks beautiful! I love you. I think sometimes she put this song on my list to remind me who i am. If she does it works thanks babe

[@Huly241072]

One of their more underrated songs

[@bcask61]

REM’s music to me is the youth I should have had. The one I had was quite different and sadder.

[@University_of_Shawn_Ryan]

Right beside that huge church. what an awesome venue!

[@JonMackenzieGuitarist]

Drum fill at 2:39. Game over!