Tour
Despite experiencing their highest chart positions to date in 1991 and 1992, the band had elected not to tour, having found the year-long Green tour draining. The Monster tour would be the group's first outing in six years. The tour, which played in arenas and amphitheaters, began in January 1995 with shows in Australia and Japan, and continued throughout Europe and the United States for the remainder of the year. Support acts included Sonic Youth and Radiohead. The tour was a huge commercial success, but the period was difficult for the group. On March 1, Berry collapsed on stage during a performance in Lausanne, Switzerland, having suffered a brain aneurysm. He had surgery immediately and recovered fully within a month. Berry's aneurysm was only the beginning of a series of health problems that plagued the Monster Tour. Mills had to undergo abdominal surgery to remove an intestinal adhesion in July; a month later, Stipe had to have an emergency surgery to repair a hernia. In spite of these factors, the group composed and debuted a number of new songs while on the tour, and recorded the bulk of their follow-up to Monster while on the road. The band brought along eight-track recorders to capture its shows, and used the recordings as the base elements for the album.
Read more about this topic: Monster (R.E.M. album)
Famous quotes containing the word tour:
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