Lou Reed News

R.E.M. is going to give some shiny happy Irish folk a preview of the band's first new tunes in years at a series of warm-up gigs at Dublin's historic Olympia Theatre this summer.

The band broke the news on its Website, announcing that it has scheduled a five-night residency from June 30 to July 5 during which time the Georgia-based alterna-rockers will "test out" a slew of new tracks live before heading into the studio to record their 14th studio album.

"Returning to Dublin for our live rehearsal this summer provides the great start we need for our next album's work," singer Michael Stipe said in a statement. "I intend to hit the ground running."

Built in 1879, the Olympia is one of Dublin's most cherished music venues. R.E.M. says it chose the hall not only for its storied history, but also after catching many amazing shows there themselves.

"From the Waterboys to Lou Reed, I am thrilled to play at this wonderful venue, and in front of some of the best fans in the world," said bassist Mike Mills.

After falling off the charts in recent years, R.E.M. is in the midst of engineering a comeback.

Last month, the Grammy winners were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The ceremony saw Stipe, Mills and guitarist Peter Buck temporarily reunite onstage with ex-drummer Bill Berry, who retired in 1997 after suffering a near-fatal brain aneurysm.

After their set, the musicians leaked word that they were about to begin work on a yet-to-be-titled new disc shepherded by Irish producer Jacknife Lee, who won two Grammys for overseeing U2's How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb and also supervised albums by Snow Patrol, Aqualung, Kasabian, the Hives and Bloc Party.

Lee has hailed the R.E.M.'s new tunes "as some of their most exciting and visceral yet."

Which would be a welcome change.

After Berry's departure, the band forged ahead as a threesome, but their popularity ebbed with a trio of critical and commercial disappointments, 1998's Up, 2001's Reveal and 2004's Around the Sun.

With the exception of the Rock Hall performance and last September's induction into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, R.E.M. hasn't played an official concert since a memorable Live 8 appearance in London's Hyde Park in July 2005.

Tickets for the Dublin shows went on sale Friday and are already sold out. Following the sojourn in Ireland, the band has scheduled studio time in Dublin, Vancouver and its home base of Athens, Georgia, to finish recording the new album, which is expected to be released by Warner Music later this year.

While Berry isn't expected to sit in on any of the sessions, he did join his mates for a cover of John Lennon's "#9 Dream" for a charity album titled Instant Karma: The Campaign to Save Darfur. The single was released to radio stations last month and made available for download on iTunes and other online outlets.