On this day in 1982, R.E.M. played Friday’s in Greensboro, North Carolina, supported by The Right Profile and Mitch Easter's Let’s Active. ‘Catapult’ was performed live for the first known time.

On this day in 1993, I.R.S. re-released their final three R.E.M. albums. Lifes Rich Pageant had six extra tracks; the Dead Letter Office compilation included two extra tracks; and Document includes six extra tracks.

On this day in 1995, R.E.M. brought the first week of the Monster tour to a close in Sydney. ‘Nightswimming’ was performed live for the first known time.

On this day in 1989, R.E.M. played at Rehearse Too Much in Atlanta, as a final warm-up for the forthcoming tour, in front of a select group of friends and Anthony DeCurtis from Rolling Stone. ‘Get Up’, ‘World Leader Pretend’, ‘Turn You Inside-Out’ and ‘(Untitled)’ were given live debuts.

Filmed on this day in 1984. Live vocals by Michael.

On this day in 1981, R.E.M. played The Milestone in Charlotte, North Carolina. “I loved it,” recalled Michael, affectionately. “The first time we ever played there, we couldn’t afford a hotel room, so we slept on the stage and woke up with some mice running around our heads.”

On this day in 2001, R.E.M. played Rock in Rio III in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in front of 200,000 people, the biggest show of the band’s career. Beck and Foo Fighters provided the support. ‘She Just Wants to Be’ and ‘The Lifting’ were given live debuts.

Maybe a vocal has never been nailed as much as Michael’s “do-OH-on’t” early on in this clip. It made up for a slight slip-up in the previous chorus. One of the first performances of ‘Daysleeper’.

On this day in 1982, Tyrone’s O.C. burned down. A suspended heater had come free from its mounting and the entire club, described by Mike as ‘the best club Athens has ever seen’, was gutted in the blaze. All that was left was the charred sign above the door which now resides in the 40 Watt Club.

On this day in 1960, John Michael Stipe was born in Decatur, Georgia, an eastern suburb of Atlanta. He was John and Marianne’s second child, born between two sisters, Cyndy and Lynda. He was named for John Wesley, partly because his grandfather was a Methodist preacher in Georgia.

December 31, 1999, was the day predicted by one member of R.E.M. that the band would cease to exist. “Well, you know who said that?” asked Peter the previous year. “Bill! Bill said it and he just couldn’t wait.”

On this day in 1981, R.E.M. played a New Year's Eve show at the Cuban Club in Tampa, Florida, supported by Triple XXX Girls. The set included Gardening at Night, 9-9, Windout, Pretty Persuasion, Wolves, Lower, Sitting Still, That Beat, There She Goes Again, Radio Free Europe and Carnival of Sorts.

On this day in 1992, ‘Drive’ peaked at #28 on the Billboard Hot 100. It remained on the chart for 15 weeks.

On this day in 2008, his 50th birthday, Mike was a guest DJ on WUOG 90.5 at UGA. For three hours, he played over fifty tracks from his own vinyl collection, including a special dedication of ‘Smokin' in the Boys Room’ to Peter and Bill.

In this month in 2006, Tower Records on Sunset Strip in Los Angeles closed its doors for the final time. A sign outside stated “It’s the end of the world as we know it. Thanks for your loyalty”.

Happy birthday to Michael Edward Mills.

On this day 40 years ago, on the penultimate night of the Reconstruction Tour at the Park Centre in Charlotte, North Carolina, the Minutemen joined R.E.M. for a performance of ‘See No Evil’. It was the last appearance by D. Boon before he was killed in a motor vehicle accident, aged 27.

On this day in 1981, R.E.M. played Tyrone’s in Athens for the final time. It burned down just under a month later.

Broadcast on this day in 1999.

On this day in 1983, R.E.M. played Friday’s in Greensboro, North Carolina. It was the final show at the venue; it was turned into a Subway outlet not long afterwards. The support band, UV Prom, included Joe Romweber, brother of Let’s Active’s Sarah.

On this day in 1983, R.E.M. began recording their second album, Reckoning, back at Reflection Sound Studios in Charlotte, North Carolina. All the tracks featured on the album were recorded during this period, and early in the new year.

Happy 69th birthday to Peter Lawrence Buck.

On this day in 1987, R.E.M. were featured on the cover of @rollingstone.com.

Mike and Peter playing 'Sharp Dressed Man' with Wheel of Cheese at the Mad Hatter in Athens on this day in 1983, during Pylon's "first final" show.

On this day in 1987, R.E.M. brought the Work Tour to an end at Atlanta's Fox Theatre.

Happy 71st birthday to Dexter Weaver.

Taken on this day in 1984 at the New Ocean Club in Cardiff, Wales. Michael strained his neck during the show.

On this day in 1981, R.E.M. played Mainroom at Sam’s in Minneapolis, supported by The Hypstrz. “Minneapolis was very good to us from the beginning. We played to twenty people on Thanksgiving 1981, and every one of them came up to us afterwards and invited us to their house for a party.” - PB, 1990

Remembering Wendell Gee, who died on this day in 1995, aged 69. A resident of Pendergrass, Georgia, he was the son of Roy Gee and Emma Fowler Gee and husband of Gwendolyn “Jenny” Elrod.

On this day in 1982, R.E.M. played Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York, supporting The English Beat and Squeeze, in front of 13,000 people – the largest audience of their career thus far.

Taken by Hank Grebe on this day in 1981 at Merlyn's in Madison, Wisconsin. Hank is still doing his thing. www.hankgrebe.com

On this day 30 years ago, the band played the final night of the Monster World Tour at the Omni in Atlanta. During soundcheck they recorded ‘Leave’ and ‘Low Desert’ for use on their next album.

On this day in 1992, a three-day shoot for the ‘Everybody Hurts’ video began on Interstate 10, north of San Antonio, Texas.

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Recorded on this day in 1984. (1/2)

Recorded at the 40 Watt Club on this day in 1992. ‘Drive’, ‘Monty Got a Raw Deal’, ‘Everybody Hurts’, ‘Man on the Moon’ and ‘Me in Honey’ were given live debuts.

Taken by Tom Sheehan on this day in 1984, at London's White City tube station.

On this day in 2008, R.E.M. play their last ever show in front of a paying crowd, at Auditorio Nacional, Mexico City, supported by Los Concorde.

On this day 30 years ago, R.E.M. began the final three nights of the Monster World Tour at The Omni in Atlanta. ‘The Wake-Up Bomb’ and ‘Binky the Doormat’ from the show were included on the ‘Electrolite’ single and ‘Undertow’ on the ‘Bittersweet Me’ single.

Recorded on this day in 1983.

On this day 30 years ago, the band play the North Charleston Coliseum in Charleston, South Carolina, and recorded ‘The Wake-Up Bomb’ as used on New Adventures in Hi-Fi.

On this day in 1982, R.E.M. played the Opera House in Lawrence, Kansas, supported by Peter Holsapple. ‘7 Chinese Bros.’ was performed live for the first known time.

On this day 30 years ago, the band performed at the Arena in Orlando, Florida, where they record ‘So Fast, So Numb’ during soundcheck for use on New Adventures in Hi-Fi. Also, ‘Find the River’ was performed live for the first time.

On this day in 1992, R.E.M. began a week of recording at John Keane Studio in Athens. As requested by The Tokens, they recorded a version of their ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’, having used the title as inspiration for ‘The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite’.

On this day in 1982, Mitch Easter's Let's Active made their debut by supporting R.E.M. at the 688 Club in Atlanta. Peter joined them on-stage during their set. They returned the gesture during R.E.M.'s encore.

On this day in 1989, R.E.M played the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia, for a L.E.A.F. benefit concert. The band performed two sets: the first set was the songs of Murmur; the second, the eleven songs of Green, followed by a few encores. ‘The Wrong Child’ was performed live for the first known time.

A photograph of Michael with his band Bad Habits taken on this day in 1978. They were supporting Dave Edmunds's Rockpile at Mississippi Nights in East St. Louis, Missouri.

The behind the scenes were included in the "rockumentary" Rough Cut released in 1995. youtu.be/LYG7nNhzpN0?...

On this day in 1994, R.E.M. appeared on Saturday Night Live, hosted by Sarah Jessica Parker. The three songs performed -- ‘What’s the Frequency, Kenneth?’, ‘Bang and Blame’ and ‘I Don’t Sleep, I Dream’ -- were live debuts.

On this day in 1989, R.E.M. played the Macon Coliseum in Bill and Mike’s former hometown of Macon, Georgia, the official end of the Green World Tour. The concert was filmed for Tourfilm. Brief footage from the show appeared in the release.