Here’s an excerpt from an article in today’s NY Times about Michael’s legendary on-stage (and in-video) moves:
In the video for “Losing My Religion” —ยย the song that would finally make R.E.M. a household name, even in my own rural Midwestern house —ยย Michael Stipe spends the first couple of minutes slouched in a chair and pacing the rough wooden floor of a big, empty room. While he sings, he flaps his arms a little at the elbows. Occasionally, his bandmates appear, all wearing white shirts like Stipe, accessorized with a jacket, pants with pleats or vests. It was the early ’90s. In the video, it’s raining outside. For some reason, there’s a pitcher of milk on the windowsill. Read the rest of the article Nytimes.com.
Also see My three favorite REM moves
PS: check out this nice piece on R.E.M. fonts.