The Police Concert Review

July 23rd, 2007

Sting performs with The Police @ Bonnaroo, June 2007

Last night The Police took the area around the ACC hostage…seriously.

I tried to get into 3 restaurants before the show and the wait was one hour for all of them, and when I finally did find somewhere to chow down, they had the Greatest Hits CD on a loop. Never before have I been that inundated with a band before actually getting to the venue! So I was bitter before even getting to the show – so the fact that I did enjoy it means that much more!

Once inside, the place was packed with fans of all ages – which is always both a little weird and wonderful at the same time. I had trepidations about my view of the show, so it was with a heavy heart I made my way to my seat BEHIND the stage; however, I gotta say, if you get a chance to buy tickets to any show in the sections directly behind the stage (113 and 114) – go for it! It was interesting being able to look out at the sold out crowd and get a small taste of what Sting, Andy and Stewart could see – plus all band members played directly to that section at one point or another, so it turned out to be a great vantage point. The guy in front of me caught one of Stewart Copeland’s discarded sticks…which he was breaking left, right and center during the show (I saw at least 10 go the way of the dodo)…if only my arms where a tad less stumpy, I would right now be cradling one of Stewart Copeland’s drumsticks. That’s right, I said it…get your minds out of the gutter!

The opening act, Fiction Plane, were a fair-to-good rock group and managed to get the crowd hyped up in anticipation of the headliners. Later I found out that the frontman/bassist of that band is none other than Joe Sumner, Sting’s son! How’s that for a blinding and grand example of nepotism?

No grand, over the top entrances for the headliners…just dimming lights to the opening strains of Message in a Bottle…but it was enough to drive the 20,000+ fans wild. Whatever you may think of reunion tours or the motives behind them…The Police clearly still have a massively devoted fanbase who have been chomping at the bit for this event for years.

Setlist:
Message in a Bottle
Synchronicity 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
Driven to Tears
Truth Hits Everybody
The Bed’s Too Big Without You
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
Can’t Stand Losing You
Roxanne

Encore:
King of Pain
So Lonely
Every Breath You Take

Second Encore:
Next to You

Considering that rabid fanbase, the band really could’ve rested on their slightly dented laurels and played it straight and simple, but they chose instead to keep things interesting by putting some new takes on some classic songs. For the most part, it worked – the only letdown was a much-too-laidback version which took the necessary urgency out of Don’t Stand So Close to Me, which was a shame since that is my favourite song. I appreciate the effort to jam and keep things new though…so I can’t fault them for that.

For an “aging” band – these were three pretty energetic guys. Scissor-kicking, jumping off speakers, vaulting over drum sets…and not one injury or broken hip! Sah-weet! I know Sting is big into the Yoga scene, but Andy and Stewart can clearly keep up.

Sting took some time to take a walk down memory lane and re-visited the last times the Police had performed as a band in the T-Dot. He mentioned playing for the first time at The Edge (in front of an audience of 4), the Horseshoe Tavern (apparently in front of a burgeoning audience of 5) and then later at their annual CNE Police picnics. They even made a joke about playing at the El Mo…it’s always nice to hear when bands actually retain memories of your city and don’t just say “Hello Cleveland!” and leave it at that.

Most crowd pleasing tune? I think that would have to go to Every Thing Little She Does is Magic…ironically one of the band’s least favourite songs. Everybody went nuts when they started playing that one and the energy broke the meter…though Roxanne, King of Pain, Can’t Stand Losing You and Every Breath You Take also came close.

All in all, with the odd misstep, a great concert (and NOT just on a reunion scale). There are a few tickets left for their November 8th date…I highly recommend grabbing them while you can!

Photograph courtesy Getty Images

Posted on Monday, July 23rd, 2007 at 5:16 pm by Emma and is filed under Concerts & Events.