R.E.M.‘s members with Pearl Jam last night. Image courtesy of R.E.M.HQ

Last night, Pearl Jam performed at Berlin’s Kindl Bühne Wuhlheide. The members of R.E.M. are currently in Berlin working on a new record and attended Pearl Jam’s performance. Near the end of Pearl Jam’s set, R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck and R.E.M. sideman Scott McCaughey emerged for a cover of the MC5’s “Kick Out The Jams.”

Of their time in Berlin, the members of R.E.M. said, “a city where we have always enjoyed whistle-stopping through, and now we’re here long enough to work on R.E.M.‘s next record. Berlin is a pulsing, exciting city with so many varied and distinctive neighborhoods, iconic history all around, great food at all levels and from every corner of the world . . . an excellent place to set up camp and make a great record. Work continues apace with Jacknife Lee and his ace team of Sam Bell and Tom McFall, and while I will not report on the sound or the dimension of the recordings so far, to my ears it all sounds like quite a wonderful set of songs.”

Late last week, Ben Harper also sat in with Pearl Jam on “Red Mosquito” at London’s Hard Rock Calling Festival. Harper, who opened for Pearl Jam early in his career and bonded with the band’s members over skateboarding, was at the event playing with his band Relentless7.