Skip to main content

FM
Former Member



http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment_music_bl...police-reunion-.html

Police Reunion: Worth the Wait
posted by JimAbbott on Jul 12, 2007 2:34:51 AM
Discuss This: Comments (2) | TrackBack (0) | Linking Blogs | Add to del.icio.us | Digg it
"Welcome to the Stewart Copeland show!" Sting sang near the end of Wednesday's show by the Police at the sold-out St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa.

That improvised line, tucked into the encore version of "So Lonely," also was a fitting tribute to the band member that contributed the most distinctive touch to the spirited and musically precise performance. Without Copeland's beat, either subtle or manic, the band's DNA just wouldn't be the same.

In a trio, of course, the impact of each element is crucial. Fortunately, the chemistry between Sting, Copeland and guitarist Andy Summers was nicely balanced in a well-paced set that ran roughly two hours.

Starting with "Message in a Bottle," the band focused on the hits, occasionally flirting with a tempo change or other nuance, but often remaining faithful to the originals.

They sounded good and looked pretty good, too. Sting appeared particularly fit, bouncing around and prowling the stage in a tight-fitting black T-shirt and matching pants. Summers, in a dark suit, was a diminutive physical presence, but asserted himself skillfully in guitar solos that were flashy but never self-indulgent.

The band played on a stage that was attractive without becoming a distraction. An oval design, it featured a circular runway around the back, a low staircase, banks of moving spotlights as well as some video screens and colorful flashing lights suspended high above the musicians.

Without fireworks or self-important videos about the group's history, the reunited band was able to approach its music without over-doing the nostalgia. Songs such as the textured "Synchronicity II," offered in the early going, were strong enough to stand alone.

"Are you ready to sing?" Sting asked the crowd. "Well, let's go!" Unfortunately, the atmospheric "Walking on the Moon," didn't seem like the best choice for a sing-along.

There were other opportunities: "Don't Stand So Close to Me" still has a catchy hook in there somewhere, even if the band approaches it now with understated energy that dilutes its power. Where's the explosive urgency of the chorus?

Much better was "Driven to Tears," which segued from its driving syncopation into a climax that churned like a locomotive. "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" also was elevated by Copeland's polyrhythmic pounding into an exuberant celebration. No problem singing along to that.

On the other end of the spectrum, Copeland turned "Wrapped Around Your Finger" into a gorgeous mood piece. His expressive touch on glockenspiel, timpani and an array of exotic percussion toys showed that the band could be tender as well as tough.

After dipping into the moodier stuff, the Police finished with a bang, including "Can't Stand Losing You," the obligatory "Roxanne" and "Every Breath You Take."

For a reunion a long time coming, it was worth the wait.

Replies sorted oldest to newest

Worth every penny to me. This was a band I never got to see because they broke up at just about the same time I came to the US. The show was simply awesome, Sting's son has a band which was the opening act. Pretty good now, he'll probably churn out some hits in a few years. Maroon 5 played 2 songs in Miami the night before but not here in Tampa. I would have loved to see them but they're gonna be here later in the year so maybe I'll go then. This pic below is from the Miami show Tuesday night. The group will also be going back to Miami to record an "Unplugged" session for MTV. "unplugged" is when MTV removes electrical instruments and have them use acoustic ones. They'll probably cut an album from that session.

FM
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20070712/BLOG19/70712024&start=1

July 12. 2007 12:39PM


The Police churn out the hits in Tampa show


By ROD HARMON



rod.harmon@heraldtribune.com


CONCERT REVIEW
The Police
Reviewed July 11 at the St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa.

SET LIST
Message In a Bottle; Synchroncity II; Walking On the Moon; Voices Inside My Head/When the World Is Running Down, You Make the Best of What's Still Around; Don't Stand So Close to Me; Truth Hits Everybody; Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic; Wrapped Around Your Finger; De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da; Invisible Sun; Walking In Your Footsteps; I Can't Stand Losing You; Roxanne. First encore: King of Pain; So Lonely. Second encore: Every Breath You Take. Final encore: Next To You.


TAMPA "” At times, it felt like the old days.
Sting, wielding his beat-up sunburst bass, kicking up his heels to his backside on the final note. Stewart Copeland forgetting about being technically proficient for a moment to unleash a set of rushing flourishes. Andy Summers and Sting facing off with their guitars pointed at each other like dueling gunfighters.
But mostly, The Police's concert at the St. Pete Times Forum Wednesday was a reminder of that, since the band's breakup in 1986, Sting has become a superstar. And, as such, he was clearly in charge of the long-anticipated reunion tour, to the point that it sometimes felt more like a Sting concert with a couple of sidemen.
That's not to say the show wasn't a crowd-pleaser. On the contrary, the band had the sold-out audience on its feet most of the night, clapping and singing along to staples on classic-rock radio. And musically, the band was spot-on, sounding just as tight as it did in its heyday.
Dressed casually in a blue-black T-shirt and black jeans, Sting kept the banter to a minimum as the band plowed through hit after hit, from "Roxanne" to "Wrapped Around Your Finger," with the occasional obscure song thrown into the mix to make it interesting to hardcore fans.
The set list changed little from previous dates on the tour, opening with the one-two punch of "Message in a Bottle" and "Synchronicity II" and ending with ginormous (this word's in the dictionary now, so I can use it) hits "King of Pain" and "Every Breath You Take."
Roughly a third of the songs included extended breaks in the middle, which usually slowed down the tempo before returning to the original bouncy arrangement. It made the familiar hits a bit more interesting, but it was also a little overused "” how many times can you chant, "yo, yo, yo, yo?"
The stage was sparse, with only a bank of strobe lights overhead and the now-obligatory TV screens distracting from the music. Occasionally, members would venture onto some steps rimming the oval-shaped stage, but that was rare. Mostly, they remained planted in one spot.
Finally, on the final encore "” "Next to You," from the first album "” The Police returned to the high-energy performance that made them famous back when Ronald Reagan was in the White House. Sting and Summers ran around the stage as they traded licks, and Copeland let loose with some cannon-fire drum fills.
In the end, The Police delivered.
FM
My two favorite Police songs -

This "Roxanne" video was done at the last Grammy awards to announce their re-union tour. It's amazing the sound that these guys can get from just the 3 of them on stage.

The Police - Roxanne

Roxanne, you don't have to put on the red light
Those days are over
You don't have to sell your body to the night
Roxanne, you don't have to wear that dress tonight
Walk the streets for money
You don't care if it's wrong or if it's right

Roxanne, you don't have to put on the red light
Roxanne, you don't have to put on the red light
Put on the red light, put on the red light
Put on the red light, put on the red light
Put on the red light, oh

I loved you since I knew ya
I wouldn't talk down to ya
I have to tell you just how I feel
I won't share you with another boy
I know my mind is made up
So put away your make up
Told you once I won't tell you again it's a bad way

Roxanne, you don't have to put on the red light
Roxanne, you don't have to put on the red light
You don't have to put on the red light
Put on the red light, put on the red light



The Police - So Lonely


Well, someone told me yesterday
That when you throw your love away
You act as if you just dont care
You look as if youre going somewhere
But I just cant convince myself
I couldnt live with no one else
And I can only play that part
And sit and nurse my broken heart, so lonely
So lonely, so lonely, so lonely
So lonely, so lonely, so lonely
So lonely, so lonely, so lonely
So lonely, so lonely

Now no-ones knocked upon my door
For a thousand years, or more
All made up and nowhere to go
Welcome to this one man show
Just take a seat, theyre always free
No surprise, no mystery
In this theatre that I call my soul
I always play the starring role, so lonely
So lonely, so lonely, so lonely
So lonely, so lonely, so lonely
So lonely, so lonely, so lonely
So lonely, so lonely
So lonely
So lonely, so lonely, so lonely
So lonely, so lonely, so lonely
I feel lonely, Im so lonely, I feel so low
I feel lonely, Im so lonely, I feel so low
FM
Last edited by Former Member

Add Reply

×
×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×
×