I’ve probably managed to screw up the search functionality and miss the fact that someone has already started such a thread, but just in case there hasn’t been one…
Anyone else had a chance to catch these guys on tour? I’ve had tickets since February to go see them play at Dodger Stadium this past weekend, and I had an absolute blast! I’ve been somewhat leery because I’ve read a number of reviews of the tour that were unenthusiastic at best.
So I’m really just curious to get impressions/reactions from other Dopers who’ve gotten to go see them. Or am I the only Sting/Police fan on the board?
I love the Police (not a Sting fan) and would love to be able to see them. I would love to hear more about what you liked and didn’t like…
And, by the way, if you haven’t read Andy Summers’ memoir One Train Later, you really should - he can write wonderfully and was central to a whole lot of happenings on the UK music scene well before the Police (he is really from the generation before Sting and Stewart) and so he has stories galore…
I’m glad to hear you had a good time. I have tickets for the July 5 show in Chicago and will report back afterwards.
I never thought they would ever reunite and I was too young to see them in their heyday. Honestly I would pay to see them stand around and tune for two hours, so obviously I’m not that picky about a perfect show - I’m just thrilled to finally see my favorite band of all time.
Ah, so that’s where the user name comes from… love that tune!
Saw 'em back in '80 or so and they were awesome. Now, they’re here this Friday. We tried to get tickets as soon as they came out but they were already asking huge sums for the seats we’d consider. Heading back in to check again, will report if we go.
I will be seeing them in late July at Fenway Park. I occasionally check out the PoliceTour.com site, but I’m fairly sure that nobody under the age of 30 even knows why I’m so excited. (Hell, Synchronicity came out when I was in fifth grade.
I’ve seen Andy, Stewart, and Sting perform solo and always enjoyed the Police numbers. So I am excited beyond words that they’re on the road. I’m curious where this will lead… more Police work, or is it a one-off?
I saw them at Bonnaroo. I thought they were really tight for three guys who spent most of the last two decades hating one another. As I expected, Stewart provided a lot of the most interesting moments, particularly “Wrapped Around Your Finger”. Aside from some of the highest of the high notes, Sting’s voice was as strong as ever.
That said, most of the people I talked to were underwhelmed. There really weren’t any surprises. A lot of people thought it was weak that they were scheduled from 9:00 to 11:30, but they were done not long after 10:30, but I blame that more on the people who wrote the guide. I don’t think you can take much from that, though; very few of the people at Bonnaroo were there to see the Police. The ones who were didn’t seem to be disappointed.
I feel like I’m somewhat underqualified to speak about The Police in any truly intelligent fashion. I’m 32 and was introduced to Sting in the mid-80s. I’m a huge fan of his solo music, and in the years since, I’ve gradually been exposed to more and more of the Police’s works.
I’ve loved everything I’ve heard by them, but I can’t claim to know that much of it. I feel like I know all of their big hits, but with a band of that caliber, I’m certain that I’m missing out on a great deal. The only album of theirs I’ve ever owned is Synchronicity (there are about five songs on there I absolutely love), and I also have “The Very Best of Sting and The Police” which has a few other hits, but this concert has convinced me that I need to go back and start collecting more of their music.
WordMan, the only thing I didn’t like about the concert was paying $40 to park and $35 for a t-shirt. The guys truly seemed to be having fun while they were playing, which was the thing I was most concerned about. Sting’s voice was much more solid than I thought it would be based on his last solo album (which, in my opinion, was fairly pathetic). They all sounded great.
I’m not sure what else to add, although I’m happy to answer any specific questions.
I have tickets to see The Police this Sunday in Toronto. Gates open at 7:30, but I will not be able to get there until about 8:30 – does anyone know what time they have usually been going on stage ? And spprox. what time do they end ?
The concert I went to was scheduled to start at 6:30. There was an opening act that came on around that time (Sting’s son’s band – I missed that one), followed by the Foo Fighters at around 7:30, and then The Police came on stage sometime between 9 and 9:30. They were done at 11.
In your case, I don’t know if there are three acts or just Sting’s son’s band and then the Police. If it’s just the two bands, being about an hour late will probably get you there right on time to see The Police.
In Chicago, Sting’s son’s band went on at 7pm and The Police took the stage around 8:30pm. We got there right after Little Nepotiz finished playing, which was fortunate since we heard his son’s band is really bad.
We had an awesome time, although the crowd around us on Wrigley Field was a bunch of uptight yuppies. The Police sounded great - Sting’s voice is still amazing and Stewart’s drumming is incredible. It was truly a show I’ll never forget.
Same price for Wrigley. Even though we were surrounded by stiffs, we were heartened to smell the sweet odor of marijuana somehwere in the vicinity as soon as the sun went down. Wish we could have been next to those people.
I saw the Police play on Friday at Hershey Park Stadium. I’ve been a huge Police fan since I was about oh, 11 years old (36 now) so I never had a chance to see them. I was really excited to finally get a chance to see them. They didn’t disappoint, but I’ve got to say that it was one of the weirdest shows I’ve ever seen.
Why? Well, I’ve got to disagree with DoctorJ on one of his main points. The guys seemed to be having no fun at all and I thought it was pretty obvious they didn’t really care to much about being around one another. That was kind of a bummer. The other 7 friends of mine that went (4 of them being big Police fans) all agreed with me. On the other hand, the music was excellent. No question that all three of these guys are virtuosos and still performing at a level that’s much higher than nearly everybody on the planet. The crowd was great. The crowd put out so much energy that it made up for the “no fun” workmanlike performance. Like I said, it was one of the weirdest shows I’ve ever attended. I really did enjoy the show and I wasn’t disappointed. I just kind of hope the guys give the rest of the fans like me what we want (and they are) and then go have some fun and play the music you want to play with people you want to play with. Make this be the last Police tour.
I agree with DoctorJ on his other points. Stewart was really impressive, especially on “Wrapped Around Your Finger.” The man is a true athlete. From nimbly running out from behind the drums to play the chimes, xylophone, etc. to just playing like a madman, he really gave it his all.
I loved that Sting was playing a beat-up, broken-in bass.
Did anyone else notice that they for the graphic on “Walking in Your Footsteps” they put a T. Rex head on an apatosaurus body?
I saw them in New Orleans on June 30, and I thought it was a great show. I’ve been a Police fan since I was about 12 years old, but I never got to see them. I wasn’t disappointed. It seemed like it took them a few songs to get really warmed up, but the last half of the 2+ hour set was gold. Stewart is the bomb! The only song that didn’t work at all was “Don’t Stand So Close to Me,” which just kind of came across as an indistinct muddle.
One thing I loved about the show was that they didn’t have any studio musicians or hired guns on stage to clean up the sound. It was just the three of them on stage, and when they fucked up, as they did on “Truth Hits Everybody”, everybody (who was paying attention) knew about it. And I thought they displayed a considerable esprit de corps: when they botched “Truth Hits Everybody”, they all laughed it off together and got on with the set. They looked like a bunch of old friends, and maybe that was the most surprising thing about the entire evening.
I saw them a week ago in Auburn Hills (Detroit). I bought their first album (yes album) way back when but am not a big fan … the wife is and it was her birthday so…
Stewart Copeland was definately the highlight for me and Little Sting wasn’t really too bad…sounds just like his dad. No surprises at all …wasn’t loud enough though.
I saw them last night in Hartford. Through sheer luck I got to go with a friend for free, and sat 12 rows back from center stage.
Though Andy looked a bit grumpy for much of the evening, Sting and Stewart were clearly having a good time, so I didn’t get a weird vibe from them at all.
Was he ever! I’ve always loved how intense he was while playing, and last night he was just the same as when I saw them during the Synchronicity tour. He was just fantastic.
I did… but then I also noticed that the toes of the dino’s feet would spread out very realistically as the dino put weight on the foot, and I wondered who gave them expert advice on the whole sequence.
We got there about 15 minutes into Joe Sumner’s band (Fiction Plane) set. Joe sings a lot like his daddy, is built like his daddy, looks and dresses the way his daddy used to in the early years of The Police, but… he ain’t his daddy. I didn’t think we missed much.
Airman and I were at the same concert as CapnPitt. Unfortunately, we were also back at the very way back, so we couldn’t really see what was happening except what was shown on the Jumbotron screens. But we both enjoyed the show immensely. I could watch Stewart Copeland play drums all day, that’s how good he is.
Fictionplane (Joe Sumner’s band) wasn’t horrible, but they’ve got a ways to go.
