REM cancel first concert in a decade

REM were forced to cancel their first concert in ten years last night, because their equipment failed to arrive at the venue in St Petersburg, Russia, on time.

The cancellation marked the first time the Leaving New York veterans have pulled the plug on a performance since 1995's Monster tour, when drummer Bill Berry underwent emergency surgery for a brain aneurysm.

A statement on the band's official website reads: "After a great night in Tallinn (Estonia) and an all-night journey to St Petersburg in wintry conditions, REM greatly regrets having to cancel the show tonight in St Petersburg.

"Lengthy delays at the Estonia/Russia border caused our trucks, crew, and gear (sound, lights, instruments, and so forth) to arrive too late to mount the show.

"This is the first time since the widely-chronicled 1995 tour that REM has had to cancel a show, and it is a major disappointment for the band not to be playing this particular city."