The documentary R.E.M. by MTV is set to be released individually on Blu Ray & DVD on June 8th. The documentary was originally released as part of the larger 6-disc boxset REMTV last November; the new stand alone version of the release adds deleted scenes, five bonus live performances, and trailers.
In promotion of the release, Mike Mills spoke with EW about R.E.M. by MTV and acknowledged MTV played a role in R.E.M's success, but explained the channel wasn't the only way fans found out about R.E.M.:
"We figured there were multiple reasons for more people coming to our shows. I’m sure videos helped. College radio helped a lot. I think primarily our reputation as a really good live band got people out there. We would play in a town and get 10 or 15 people, and the next time we’d play there we’d get a hundred, and the next time we’d play there we’d get 300. So whatever the forces at play were, we were getting what we wanted, which was more people to the shows."
Mills revealed that all of the members of R.E.M. are still friends, but once again shuts down the idea of an R.E.M. reunion someday:
"We are all very dear friends, and that’s one of the reasons we were able to A) stay together as long as we did and B) break up in the manner we did. We’re all like family and we wanted to keep it that way. That enabled us to get through 30-plus years, but it also enabled us to walk away in a healthy fashion."
"[A reunion] is off the table, but no one can predict the future. There could be a meteor with your name on it right now. But I would say no. We like the fact that we are so far the one band* that doesn’t get back together—but you never know."
Read the full interview with Mills and watch some exclusive live footage over at Entertainment Weekly. Purchase/pre-order R.E.M. by MTV from the R.E.M. store or Amazon.
*(other than the Smiths, right Mr. Mills?)
Published June 5th, 2015 @ 12:10 PM