The trial of R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck has been rescheduled to begin March 4, Billboard Bulletin reports. The original trial last month at London’s Isleworth Crown Court was halted after one day when the jury was discharged “for legal reasons,” according to a statement from MaGrath and Co., Buck’s U.K. attorneys.
Buck is charged with being drunk on an aircraft, assaulting two cabin crew members, interfering with the performance of a crew member’s duties, and other offenses that allegedly occurred during a British Airways flight from Seattle to London in April. The 44-year-old artist denies the charges.
During the first abbreviated trial, prosecutors painted an unflattering picture of Buck’s behavior, saying he “became the transmogrification of Dr. Jekyll into Mr. Hyde” during the 8 1/2-hour flight. Buck is said to have staggered around the plane, got stuck between seats, and covered himself in yogurt after downing 15 glasses of red wine in the first three hours of the trip.
As previously reported, R.E.M. has written a host of new songs in recent months and may hit the studio as early as May. Last week, lead singer Michael Stipe told Philadelphia radio station Y100 that the group may support its next album with a full tour, which it did not following the release of “Reveal” (Warner Bros.) earlier this year.
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