The Buck Talks Here

Flagpole Catches Up with R.E.M.

originally published June 18, 2008

Mike White

Peter Buck

As R.E.M. is currently in the midst of the U.S. leg of its international tour supporting the newest album, Accelerate, the band is nothing if not crunched for time. Indeed, this story has been in the planning stages since before the album was released back in March of this year. I was finally able to schedule some time with guitarist Peter Buck, and he was as engaging and conversant as always. Ask anyone who’s ever conducted interviews, and they’ll tell you that too much of an answer from a subject is always better than too little. Buck had just finished sound check for the band's performance that night in St. Paul, MN and sounded a little tired, but enthusiastically answered every inquiry I put to him.

Flagpole

Well, I wanted to ask you about the tour, and how it’s going.

Peter Buck

It’s going good. We’ve got about 80 songs we’re pulling from, and that’s good. It’s a lot of fun.

Flagpole

So, any given night it’s a different set list.

Peter Buck

Yeah. There’re songs, you know, that people expect us to play, and we’re doing those, but any given night we’re playing 26 songs or so. There’s about 12 or 13 we can pick from the group.

Flagpole

I know you’ve seen the reviews and everything, but so many people are calling Accelerate a "return to form" which has kind of rubbed me the wrong way.

Peter Buck

I think there’re songs on the last three records that are really good. The last record [Around the Sun] didn’t come out exactly the way I would have wanted it for various reasons. But, yeah, I think it’s a good record. I mean, maybe this is a record we should have done in 1983 or 1984.

Flagpole

Last time we spoke it was almost four years ago, and the war in Iraq was in full swing. John Kerry was running for president, and we talked a lot about politics and the war. I was wondering what your thoughts on [Democratic presidential nominee] Barack Obama were. I imagine the band is a fan of Obama’s.

Peter Buck

Yeah, I think what we’re all looking for right now is a change. I actually saw Obama speak about four years ago, and I had never heard of him, but he was great.

Flagpole

Are you planning on pulling out any last minute surprises for the hometown crowd? You know, maybe songs you haven’t played in a long time or haven’t played yet on this tour?

Peter Buck

Atlanta’s always hard because we know that if there’s any crowd where the people are most likely to have seen us multiple times it’s Atlanta, you know, and our friends from Athens. But, as I said, we have about 80 songs to choose from, so I’m sure we’ll do something.

Flagpole

I think it was the fall of 1989 (November 13, 1989, actually), the very end of the Green tour, and you played that benefit show at the Fox Theatre and played all of Murmur and then all of Green back to back (a total surprise for the crowd). The reason I bring that up is because all kinds of bands are doing that now. You know, where they play entire albums as an event.

Peter Buck

Yeah, that was the very end of that tour, and we thought it’d be fun. Keep in mind, though, that Husker Du had previously been on the road playing all of [double album] Warehouse: Songs and Stories straight through.

Flagpole

True. After having been in the band for almost 30 years, how has the dynamic of being a rock and roll band in the United States changed? How is it different now from, say, the early 1980s to the mid-'90s?

Peter Buck

You know, it’s pretty much the same thing. I show up and play my guitar. I mean, I don’t have to carry my own equipment anymore, but it’s still pretty much the same. It’s just people writing and playing songs.

Flagpole

I wanted to ask you about the logistics of the tour, especially concerning fuel costs. I mean, when you go overseas I don’t know if you take your own people or hire a crew over there, but how are fuel prices affecting things?

Peter Buck

It’s expensive. It eats into everything. We travel overseas with our own crew, and we don’t ever want them to have to work for less money, so the band takes the hit. I mean, we have trucks and buses, and of course, air travel is more expensive. It just affects everything.

Flagpole

I was asking because, in reality, major rock and roll bands on tour are traveling businesses in a lot of ways, and since you’re most likely the only major rock band I’ll talk to this summer, I figured I’d ask you.

Peter Buck

Just before I left Seattle this last time I filled up my car and was paying $4.19 a gallon, and it cost me $80 to fill up my car. I don’t care about the money, but I think someone should be asking why it costs that much. Especially when we supposedly have the “oil president” in the White House. It’s hurting a lot of people. I’ve talked to people who want to come out to a show, but have told me they couldn’t afford the gas to drive the two hours to get there. I wish there was a way to tour without using fuel, but I don’t think there is.

Flagpole

What records have you been digging lately? What have you just picked up?

Peter Buck

You know, I’m like everyone else. I go to the record store on Tuesday and see what’s out and get stuff. I think the new Nick Cave record [Dig, Lazarus Dig!!!] is really great. (Note: tape malfunctions here and Peter’s answer about records his friends have sent him is missing.)

Flagpole

So do you still hit record stores in pretty much every town you can?

Peter Buck

Well, there’s a lot fewer record stores now. It used to be any town you went to the local record shop would be right down the road, and I go to all these towns, and that’s just not the case anymore. I can still visit my favorites like Amoeba [in San Francisco].

Flagpole

I imagine that’s the same situation overseas, too.

Peter Buck

You know, there’s not really a whole lot of time on tour. It’s actually quite a bit of work, and I’m not complaining at all. I’ve done this my whole life. But when your bus arrives someplace at 7 a.m., and you’re supposed to be at the venue a few hours later, there’s not much time to do anything but maybe shower and have breakfast.

Flagpole

Well, Pete that’s about it on my end. Thanks for talking today. I don’t know if Kevin (O’Neil: R.E.M.’s product manager) told you, but this is for Flagpole Magazine here in Athens.

Peter Buck

Oh, yeah, I know. Good to talk to you. I guess I’ll see you at the show in, what, a couple of weeks?

Flagpole

I’ll be there. See ya then. Have a good show tonight.

Peter Buck

Thanks. Talk to you later.

Gordon Lamb

WHO: R.E.M.
WHERE: Lakewood Ampitheatre
WHEN: Saturday, June 21
HOW MUCH? $35–$75