R.E.M.’s headline performance from Glastonbury 1999 set for global stream

By Scott Munro
published

R.E.M’s landmark set from the Pyramid Stage from the summer of 1999 will be streamed across the world in August - part of Glastonbury’s 50th anniversary celebrations

R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe
R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe onstage at Glastonbury 1999 (Image credit: Brian Rasic - Getty)

R.E.M’s headline set from Glastonbury 1999 is to be broadcast around the world next month.

The stream is part of the festival’s 50th anniversary celebrations and will premiere for free on YouTube on August 6 at 8pm BST (opens in new tab).

R.E.M. hit the Pyramid Stage following earlier performances from artists including Blondie (opens in new tab), Bush (opens in new tab) and Hole (opens in new tab), with frontman Michael Stipe recalling: Hole did such a great set, I was like, ‘I’ve got to ramp this up, I’ve got to be great.’

“I think it was maybe a moment for R.E.M. and the UK where we had kind of been forgotten or pushed aside by younger bands, and that was a particular moment at Glastonbury where I think we pulled ourselves back to the front of the line and actually proved, this is what we’re capable of. It was a great show for us!”

Audio from the set was previously released on R.E.M. At The BBC (opens in new tab) in 2018 on 2CD, 2LP, on digital platforms and as a 8CD/DVD boxset which also featured radio sessions, live BBC broadcasts, rare and unreleased live and studio recordings and the band’s TV appearances, including their Jools Holland special in 1998. 

The stream will be available for 72 hours only.

Scott Munro
Scott Munro
Louder e-commerce editor

Scott has spent more than 30 years in newspapers and magazines as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. After initially joining our news desk in the summer of 2014, he moved to the e-commerce team full-time in 2020. He maintains Louder’s buyer’s guides, scouts out the best deals for music fans and reviews headphones, speakers, books and more. He's written more than 11,000 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog and has previous written for publications including IGN, the Sunday Mirror, Daily Record and The Herald covering everything from daily news and weekly features, to video games, travel and whisky. Scott grew up listening to rock and prog, cutting his teeth on bands such as Marillion and Magnum before his focus shifted to alternative and post-punk in the late 80s. His favourite bands are Fields Of The Nephilim, The Cure, New Model Army, All About Eve, The Mission, Ned's Atomic Dustbin and Drab Majesty, but he also still has a deep love of Rush.