Michael Stipe once told Donald Trump to "shut up" at a Patti Smith concert

Michael Stipe has appeared as a guest on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Thursday. The former frontman of R.E.M., unfortunately, did not perform one of his two new solo efforts, but he definitely did share a rather interesting story.

Stipe sat down to reveal that he has stopped watching the news completely, and deleted all of his social media accounts at the encouragement of his doctor. He also opened up about which Radiohead song was his favourite, as a follow-up to Thom Yorke recently revealing that ‘Central Rain’ is his favourite R.E.M. song.

According to Stipe, his favourite Radiohead song is ‘Pyramid Song’, although he also confessed his love for ‘Traffic’, the opening song to Yorke’s solo album Anima.

Colbert also asked Stipe why Donald Trump continues to play R.E.M.’s music at his campaign rallies despite the band’s objections. After encouraging the audience to boo, Stipe explained that it’s a licensing problem. “There’s nothing we can do but respectfully request he not do so,” Stipe said. When Colbert asked why “respectfully,” Stipe responded, “Because we take the high road,” before quoting Michelle Obama’s mantra “When they go low, we go high.”

Michael Stipe then recounted a personal interaction he once had with Trump. As he recalls, he found himself sitting next to the future president at a Patti Smith charity concert held at Joe’s Pub in the late 1990s.

“We got there late, and it was standing room only. They took us to the VIP overflow booth. This businessman, this big loud guy came in. He sat next to us. He was talking to [his date], and he kept talking to her through the performance. It was very disruptive and loud, frankly.”

Eventually, Stipe said he confronted Trump: “I told him, ‘Excuse me, that’s my friend. And you have to stop talking. What are you doing? Shut up!’” Stipe remembered saying. Trump eventually “got up and left.”