REM - Driver 8

Live at Musik Convoy, 1985. This german TV program was mostly playback, but here Michael Stipe is signing live.

[@ritzg98]

Everything about this song is fabulous. Drums, guitar, bass. It's just so great. And then there's Michael Stipe, who sounds just as good live as he does in the studio. How does he do it?? I doubt anyone knows. He just does. And it's awesome.

[@blippy777]

yes they had to have talent then, not filters

[@thesanfordmethod1905]

Well said, funny I just kinda said the same thing then I read your comments when scrolling. I don't know of many bands which there's no weak link, I mean even Zeppelin has Rubber Plant, and sometimes he can be cheesy.

[@marclayne9261]

I grew up in a steel town in 1950s & 60s...my grandfathers worked at the mill....

[@bassboye8959]

The thing I feel inspired to say is: vocal consistency in any band of any style is a huge issue. Some knock it out of the park in the studio & utterly suck live.people age, morph, change due to natural personal style prowess ect. This man Michael was incredibly consistant vocally, the guitarist as well. They deserve credit on that level. This clip, the entire band delivered & it's very impressive. Try to be kind to your hero's as they age & transform. It's the music that counts verse the hair/ lack of , what thier wearing. Really? Who gives a fck! It's the music that matters.

[@moragmacgregor6792]

True story, Bass Boye, and well said. This is my favorite live version except for the "rare acoustic version". The lead vocals here are unsurpassed imo Michael is a beast 🐆

[@jamesfitzpatrick8300]

Absolutely. Brilliantly put.

[@adrianopasseri3262]

One of my all time favourite r.e.m. Songs

[@shadowknight9807]

I had never heard of this song until I heard Jason Isbell do it on the radio (which is great). I say this hanging my head - what a song!! REM was so incredible!!

[@dhowellbassist]

Huge REM fan here, but am I seriously the only one that noticed neither guitar is plugged in, no amps on stage (very rare for REM), and there is harmonica in the background while Michael sings ands holds the harmonica as a prop??? 🙄🙄🙄

[@RochelleEskue]

👏 This was NOT the REM crowd, or they'd be shock and awing over Mikes' incredible vocals. ⭐

[@wavemanmav9073]

Apparently, the crowd was expecting Nena, :)

[@EdHerzog1]

Yeah, the crowd acts like they just woke up from a 50 year nap. I feel bad for REM, having to play in front of them.

[@thesanfordmethod1905]

This song is absolute; drums, guitar, vocals, and bass. Perfection.

[@the1browns]

Damn, this song takes me back to being a young college student in Kent, Ohio. I absolutely love this fkkn song!

[@summolarummo]

Why is Michael turning into Lawrence fishbourne

[@potomafia]

He was still getting used to being bald, so this is what he settled on for a time.

[@52barney]

ACNE SCARS

[@SteveatNSR]

I read an interview where, in denying he had AIDS, he said, "Not as far as I know. I'm skinny. I've always been skinny, except in 1985."

[@urbangorilla33]

You mean morphing into Morpheus?

[@toddhendricks1727]

That just slayed me

[@robertkaercher8275]

Great sound considering it was 1985

[@chrissycrunch]

Why does this sound amazing???

[@josef2012]

German engineering

[@mikehutton3187]

Studio version, besides vocals.

[@realtimecartravel]

1:40 What a bridge -- A way to shield the hated heat A way to put myself to sleep

[@mjh6979]

Sounds like he is singing “A way to shield away the heat”….

[@OtherMike5000]

That Rickenbacker guitar sounds awesome!!

[@samuelskillern7365]

I mean, it is played by the one and only Peter Buck.

[@dynomike1964]

The sound is great .

[@grega.4556]

Perhaps our dear Michael has a puffy aspect due to good German beer.

[@michaelmeenan5522]

Great rendition... crowd comatose lol

[@buzzcrushtrendkill]

That's just the German/Northern European crowds. They are enjoying it. They are just more reserved.

[@cuteasxtreme]

They’re miming

[@Raptor3400]

Someone needs to try to calm this audience down before things get out of hand.

[@chrysopylaedesign]

Saw R.E.M. in mid-85' at the UC Berkeley Greek Theatre. Believe me, the audience was ON FIRE.......dancing on every song. This crowd seems like it's asleep??

[@henreebee6561]

Damn, Stipe looks like a Batman villain here... he must have been sick or something.

[@bassboye8959]

I saw an early live version of this song, was cool, this ones the best so far. As far as the band being very tight musically together which is what matters to me as a musician verses a female fan. Groupie is no longer a kind word/or description. Yes looking good is important. Sounding great is a better aspiration. We'll done guys. I'm a hardcore hard rocker, yet if it sounds great & authentic which this does, 2 thumbs up! Really love this song as well as alot of the uniquely college rock phenomenon. It was a cool time in space. We'll done!

[@divinedgar]

backtrack. "this is real". michael holding up the harmonica during the harmonica solo.

[@byronkacheris5781]

Crowd was unawarenod the presence they were within..

[@remtrader106]

I think they're playing on borrowed equipment. I've never seen Mike with that bass and Bill didn't play Pearl drums until the Green World Tour.

[@Driver8takeabreak]

+Chuck Eaton They're not actually playing. They're not plugged in, no amps an no mice. As the description says, just playback with live vocals.

[@remtrader106]

+Dave Messenheimer There is some actual playing going on. Bill is hitting the drums. And as I said, I've never seen Mike with that model of a Rick - and I think he had given up playing Ricks live by 1985.

[@mikewilson3581]

That's Peter Buck's cherished black Rickenbacker.

[@sniffableandirresistble]

This is an important lesson. I mean, Driver 8 is one of the best songs ever written. Completely lost on that crowd. In fact, the nonchalance of the people there could cause someone to rethink their craft so you can't base your art on fanfare and adulation you must just persist in your truth. ❤

[@Detroit1967]

Local West German music show "Musik-Convoy" 1985 was broadcasted from small towns.

[@moragmacgregor6792]

I've been wondering if it was a new name for Musikladen./Beat Club.

[@johnniejukebox]

Tamest crowd EVER!

[@sirajaxl]

Think about this. In 1985 it was only 40 years after the end of World War II. That’s about the same amount of time as 1985 to 2021. I think the Germans were still suffering from anti-crowd fanaticism syndrome. Seriously.

[@yiannisclerides9782]

please dont take a picture - its been a bad day - we ve been on this shift too long -

[@niilista26]

Estou chocado, conheci essa música com o Hootie Blowfish, não sei qual versão ouvir agora. 👏👏👏

[@peterw.5984]

awesome sound! Stipe you were such a freak lol

[@Dancehip]

The band sounds great. The crowd looks dead.

[@jamesfitzpatrick8300]

Brilliant

[@IronMan-ml5yi]

Love this song running the trash compactor 10 hours straight.

[@mfamily217]

Michael looks like he ate the fields of wheat….

[@wreckofthehesperas8323]

Recorded in 1985!? Wow

[@ke228]

So tight.

[@urbangorilla33]

Really, it sounds so much like the studio track.

[@jones848]

This sounds almost exactly like the studio version

[@Wilco1972]

A little too much...I wondered if Michael was singing to a track. It's just too perfect sounding. I'm not saying REM were cheats, I have no idea what this performance was for... Was it recorded for German television? Could explain them playing to something pre-recorded.

[@urbangorilla33]

@@Wilco1972Backing tracks are the studio version. You can even hear the harmonica part in the background during the bridge.

[@emerckx53]

His voice! Wow. So damn distinct as always..

[@joshuapeterson6072]

Why is Peter wearing Mike Mills jacket from the future?

[@theflint7692]

I'm so fascinated by the way Stipe looks in this performance.. the enigmatic outfit, the stitched brow.. there's a comic book character in this

[@jonathanandrews1977]

Pre-Vegetarian days?

[@amcsibozgor6791]

It suddenly occurs to me Stipe must've had some work done on his face since the early days.

[@potomafia]

I think you are right. The acne scars were dealt with at some point.

[@lindaalonso5452]

Who cares

[@SJ-mn2dl]

So is this live or are Stipe's vocals only live, very weird...but the crowd man wow, they don't even seem to care.

[@henreebee6561]

Stipe looks puffy, and it’s hard to make out because of the quality, but it kinda looks like he has hella acne scars too. Never seen him look like this!

[@raithrover1976]

He crashed his car not long after getting his license. That certainly accounts for the scar on the bridge of his nose.

[@vegetablehead]

This may be anecdotal but this was about the time a breakup was almost imminent.

[@90oski]

Great version but I don't remember this part of Capote.

[@jamescarey2367]

Love this song rocks driver 8 take a break!

[@orangesharpy]

No matter what that bass player always looks happy

[@PresidentGas1]

Michael looks bloated and the crowd appears as though they are waiting in line to get rectal exams. Not a good look ..... this must have been filmed in Europe somewhere.

[@lennybruce6476]

Stipe was so enigmatic back then.

[@liammcooper]

Michael Stipe and Peter Buck are cool as fuck

[@paulamiles9559]

So ❤ this song. When I sing along with the record, I sing Mikey Mills' part.

[@tf4606]

Didn't seem like Mikey's mic was on... but it must have been you!

[@Terbie36]

I wish the audience were not made of zombies.

[@sirajaxl]

Think about this. In 1985 it was only 40 years after the end of World War II. That’s about the same amount of time as 1985 to 2021. I think the Germans were still suffering from some type of anti-crowd fanaticism syndrome. Seriously.

[@mikehutton3187]

Stipe is the only one who is live. The music is studio version. Except he forgot to play the harmonica.

[@claitoncampos9328]

THIS IS NOT POP ROCK GUYS GRUNGE ON THE ROAD !!

[@bassboye8959]

Early good grunge, yes I considered it more like the American Beatles, during rubber soul. A very high compliment from me as a musician, well earned by these guys. Very cool.

[@thedivineedgar3029]

live vocal. backing track band. hence, ‘this is real.’

[@shadowknight9807]

Michael doesn't look well, but hey, that's part of his charm.

[@atomeyes99]

stipe looks REALLY unhealthy here

[@keith6795]

Michael did say he looked like Marlon Brando in 1985

[@milanlukic6359]

ajmeee, kakva je ovo stvarčuga, hvala, kigonjiro. drajver ejt je meni najbolja pesma od svih koje sam čuo od rem, a načuo sam sve, kao i što mi je ariem najbolji bend na koji sam načuljio uši, a čuljio sam ih mnogo i svuda. bravo još jedanput, na postu, kigonjiro,

[@rollanet492]

This. Is. Real. Real music. Real vocals. Real instruments. Real players. Not manufactured, or hand picked by American Idol. It’s the real deal. Michael’s voice is unparalleled. I wish Michael would come back to who he use to be. Back to who he was. Not all “political activist”. That’s a dead end waste of amazing talent. I love Michael. Huge respect for his absolute GENIUS musical talent. It’s VERY clear, it’s what he was born to do. Not to he “just another” political mouth piece. He could get the band together for a tour and it would be an absolute sellout…before it’s too late, such as it is for Steve Perry and many others. I’d be the first to line up for front row to see this absolutely amazing band. REM, Michael, had so much more to give. It’s never too late.

[@dhowellbassist]

Lol actually no. Read my comment above and then rewatch. Again, huge rem fan here but this is not a legit live performance. Sorry.

[@OhanaFilms]

What a weird gig

[@senorphilipe4242]

Only the the main vocal is live

[@stephenbrock2822]

Strange question I know but does anyone know what kind of coat Michael is wearing in this?

[@henreebee6561]

I believe it’s just an olive trench coat.

[@anna-rexia]

Stipe has one of the best voices ❤

[@paulwilliams5296]

Imagine been there ❤

[@robwagner5190]

He looks awful

[@peterclay]

I love R.E.M.

[@MrDadodusman]

cavoli ma non se li inculava nessuno in questo video, ma dove erano ???

[@oliveroneill1388]

bad over dub. yee ameriaiains ,m nock me out

[@senorphilipe4242]

Playing to a backing track

[@JDfanboy1]

Wow Stipe doesn't look great here! What's up with him?

[@carlzson299]

I saw something where he said in 1985 (the year of this performance) he looked like Marlon Brando. Lol

[@samnicholson5051]

Johnny Depp did well here.

[@rjpaws]

Awful crowd

[@easternblocairguns2728]

Stipe looks horrible! Does not even look like himself. Face is swollen. What's up with that? Drugs?

[@Krung0401]

N. Davidsng He said he was eating a lot of potatoes during this time.

[@moragmacgregor6792]

Road food and German beer. He sounds incredible tho.

[@hopesprings7812]

He always looks beautiful to me but I'm biased.