''Tourfilm'' (1990) is a
documentary-style
concert film
A concert film, or concert movie, is a film that showcases a live performance from the perspective of a concert goer, the subject of which is an extended live performance or concert by either a musician or a stand-up comedian.
Early history
The ...
by American rock band
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, formed in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the first alternative ...
The film chronicles the band's 1989 ''
Green
Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 Nanometre, nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by ...
'' tour of
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
. Produced by frontman
Michael Stipe
John Michael Stipe (; born January 4, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter and artist, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of alternative rock band R.E.M. He is known for his vocal quality, poetic lyrics and unique stage presence.
Poss ...
and director
Jim McKay
James Kenneth McManus (September 24, 1921 – June 7, 2008), better known professionally as Jim McKay, was an American television sports journalist.
McKay was best known for hosting ABC's '' Wide World of Sports'' (1961–1998). His introdu ...
, the black-and-white film features aspects of
avant-garde
The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...
and experimental
filmmaking
Filmmaking (film production) is the process by which a motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, starting with an initial story, idea, or commission. It then continues through screenwriting, casti ...
, including handheld camera shots and
stock
In finance, stock (also capital stock) consists of all the shares by which ownership of a corporation or company is divided.Longman Business English Dictionary: "stock - ''especially AmE'' one of the shares into which ownership of a company ...
footage.
Unlike most films of its genre, ''Tourfilm'' is noticeably devoid of standard rock movie staples such as backstage footage and interviews with band members. The film was released on LaserDisc and VHS in 1990 and
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...
in August 2000.
All the audio for ''Tourfilm'' comes from the R.E.M.'s show at
Greensboro Coliseum
The Greensboro Coliseum Complex, commonly referred to as Greensboro Coliseum (the first and biggest building on the site), is an entertainment and sports complex located in Greensboro, North Carolina. Opened in 1959, the complex holds eight venu ...
on November 10, 1989, though it also includes brief video footage from four other tour stops:
* November 7, 1989 –
Roanoke Civic Center
Berglund Center (originally called the Roanoke Civic Center) is a 10,500-seat multi-purpose arena located in the Williamson Road neighborhood of Roanoke, Virginia. It was built in 1971. It was the former home to the Roanoke Dazzle basketball team, ...
, Roanoke, VA
* November 8, 1989 –
Hampton Coliseum
Hampton Coliseum is a multi-purpose arena in Hampton, Virginia. Construction began on May 24, 1968. The venue held its first event on December 1, 1969, with the nearby College of William & Mary playing North Carolina State University in a colle ...
, Hampton, VA
* November 11, 1989 –
Macon Coliseum
The Macon Coliseum is a multi-purpose arena in Macon, Georgia, United States. It is home to the Macon Mayhem, a minor-league hockey team in the Southern Professional Hockey League. The Centerplex was home to the Macon Whoopee (ECHL), Macon Whoopee ...
, Macon, GA
* November 13, 1989 –
Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA
Track listing
All tracks written by
Bill Berry
William Thomas Berry (born July 31, 1958) is an American musician who was the drummer for the alternative rock band R.E.M. Although best known for his economical drumming style, Berry also played other instruments, including guitar, bass guitar ...
,
Peter Buck
Peter Lawrence Buck (born December 6, 1956) is an American musician and songwriter. He was a co-founder and the lead guitarist of the alternative rock band R.E.M. He also plays the banjo and mandolin on several R.E.M. songs. Throughout his car ...
,
Mike Mills
Michael Edward Mills (born December 17, 1958) is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer, and composer who was a founding member of the alternative rock band R.E.M. Though known primarily as the bass guitarist and backing vocalist of R.E.M., hi ...
and
Michael Stipe
John Michael Stipe (; born January 4, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter and artist, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of alternative rock band R.E.M. He is known for his vocal quality, poetic lyrics and unique stage presence.
Poss ...
except as indicated.
# Intro – 0:28
# "
Stand
Stand or The Stand may refer to:
* To assume the upright position of standing
* Forest stand, a group of trees
* Area of seating in a stadium, such as bleachers
* Stand (cricket), a relationship between two players
* Stand (drill pipe), 2 or 3 ...
" – 3:11
# "
The One I Love" – 4:50
# "These Days" – 3:40
''includes excerpt from " So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry)"''
# "Turn You Inside-Out" – 4:15
# "World Leader Pretend" – 5:24
''includes excerpt from " We Live As We Dream, Alone" (Andy Gill
Andrew James Dalrymple Gill (1 January 1956 – 1 February 2020) was a British musician and record producer. He was the lead guitarist for the rock band Gang of Four, which he co-founded in 1976. Gill was known for his angular, jagged style of gu ...
, Jon King
Jonathan Michael King (born 8 June 1955) is an English musician, songwriter, and Grammy nominated Art Director in the post-punk band Gang of Four.
Biography
King attended Sevenoaks School, where he was a member of the 'Art Room' that produce ...
) by Gang of Four
The Gang of Four () was a Maoist political faction composed of four Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials. They came to prominence during the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) and were later charged with a series of treasonous crimes. The gang ...
''
# "Feeling Gravitys Pull" – 6:34
# "I Believe" – 5:05
''includes excerpt from "Future 40's (String of Pearls)" (Syd Straw
Syd Straw (born 1958) is an American rock singer and songwriter. The daughter of actor Jack Straw (''The Pajama Game''), she began her career singing backup for Pat Benatar, then took her distinct voice to the indie/alternative scene and joined ...
, Stipe, Jody Harris
Jody Harris is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter and composer who was born in Kansas and became a central figure in the seminal no wave scene in New York City in the 1970s.
Career history
Harris was lead guitarist in the Contortions, an ...
) by Syd Straw''
# "I Remember California" – 5:50
# "
Get Up
Get or GET may refer to:
* Get (animal), the offspring of an animal
* Get (divorce document), in Jewish religious law
* GET (HTTP), a type of HTTP request
* "Get" (song), by the Groggers
* Georgia Time, used in the Republic of Georgia
* Get AS, a ...
" – 3:00
# "
It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
"It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" is a song by American rock band R.E.M., which first appeared on their 1987 album, ''Document''. It was released as the album's second single in November 1987, reaching No. 69 in t ...
" – 4:51
# "
Pop Song 89
"Pop Song 89" is the opening track and third single released from R.E.M.'s sixth studio album ''Green''. It peaked at number 86 on the Hot 100, and in the UK "Stand" was re-released instead.
''Cash Box'' called it a "cynical parody of pop: but ...
" – 5:10 ''includes an excerpt from "Belong"''
# "
Fall on Me" – 3:19
# "You Are the Everything" – 4:50
# "
Begin the Begin" – 3:47
# "King of Birds" – 7:06 ''includes excerpts from "With the People" by Drivin' N Cryin' and from "Low"''
# "
Finest Worksong
"Finest Worksong" is the third and final single released from R.E.M.'s fifth studio album ''Document''. It peaked at number 50 on the UK Singles Chart in April 1988, at the time the group's highest-charting single in the UK.
The single version ...
" – 4:06
# "
Perfect Circle" – 3:59
# "
After Hours" (
Lou Reed
Lewis Allan Reed (March 2, 1942October 27, 2013) was an American musician, songwriter, and poet. He was the guitarist, singer, and principal songwriter for the rock band the Velvet Underground and had a solo career that spanned five decades. ...
) (credits) – 4:22
Certifications
References
{{R.E.M.
R.E.M. video albums
Concert films
1990 video albums
Live video albums
R.E.M. live albums
1990 live albums
Warner Records video albums
Warner Records live albums
Events in Greensboro, North Carolina