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| The Police rip through hits at sold-out US Airways show | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| By Chris Hansen Orf, Get Out | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| June 19, 2007 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
But as groups such as The Who, Black Sabbath and the Sex Pistols have proven in recent years, “never again” doesn’t necessarily mean “never again,” especially when fans will shell out big bucks to see a reunited band. The Police is the latest group to put aside its previous differences long enough to embark on a reunion tour, and the reggae-influenced punks brought their no frills show to a sold-out US Airways Center on Monday (see photos). Plenty of fans who thought they’d never see the band play together again were still holding their breath before The Police took the stage. “It wouldn’t surprise me if they broke up again before the show starts,” laughed longtime Police fan Jeff Owens of Ahwatukee Foothills. From the staccato opening riff of “Message in a Bottle” to the final strains of the rocking “Next To You,” The Police had the crowd – ranging in age from teens to senior citizens – on its feet for nearly two hours. The band members even seemed to enjoy each other’s company, grinning at one another as the old magic was resurrected. Sting, who has had plenty of solo success since The Police disbanded, is still the focal point of the band. Dressed in tight black pants, sleeveless white shirt, Doc Marten boots and sporting a cropped blond haircut, the fit 55 year-old looked and sounded like the young punk who co-founded The Police 30 years ago, singing in his trademark high tenor while thumping out his innovative bass lines. But while Sting is the showman, Summers’ and Copeland’s musical contributions were always just as essential to The Police’s unique sound as Sting’s voice. Both were in top form at the US Airways Center Monday with Summers’ melodic chord phrasings and Copeland’s dexterous stick work creating the reggae-meets-punk-meets-pop sound that separated the band from the rest of the post-punk pack in the late ‘70s. Monday’s set featured predictable turns on such hits as “Synchronicity II,” “Every Breath You Take,” “King of Pain” and “Wrapped Around You Finger” from the band’s breakthrough 1983 album “Synchronicity,” but the real treat was hearing The Police tear through its earlier, more punk-influenced catalog, whipping up such pounding rockers as “Driven to Tears,” “I Can’t Stand Losing You,” “Roxanne,” “So Lonely” and “Next To You.” Now that The Police tour has become the hottest concert attraction of summer 2007, could the reunion spawn another Police record and more sold-out tours? “Obviously the fans are still into it,” said Scott Hessel, drummer for Tempe-based rockers Gloritone. “I think they’re probably beyond the squabbling now, and if Sting writes Police songs and not his solo type songs, it could happen.” Set list: "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" "The Bed's Too Big Without You" "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" "Can't Stand Losing You" "Roxanne" Encore 1: "King of Pain" "So Lonely" Encore 2: "Every Breath You Take" "Next to You" Contact Chris Hansen Orf by email, or phone (480) 898-5684 |
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Reader comments (4)
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police fan
The concert was rockin! Awesome show! Suggest removal of this commentJune 19, 2007
Police Fan?
The concert was somewhat of a disappointment. They changed up their songs so they didn't sound the same. I HATE when bands do that. Glad my tickets were free otherwise I would've felt jipped."So Lonely" was good though. Suggest removal of this comment
June 19, 2007
policefan2
Ralph (the reviewer above) graded the show on a generous "These Guys are 55 & 64" curve. Sure, the crowd was into it - it was the bloody Police. However, with a a few exceptions - Driven to Tears and Roxanne, maybe a couple of others - the band is an older, more *comfortable* Police. And it showed. The pic of Sting jumping above isn't at all indicative of the show's energy - Sting spent 99% of his time *strolling* (sauntering) around the stage. As for the high tenor voice, many of the songs have been taken down several key changes - some, like "So Lonely" and "Truth Hits Everybody" REALLY suffered for it - and Sting sang them ... comfortably. And don't ask me what happened to "Don't Stand So Close to Me" or "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic" - all that was missing was Bill Murray' lounge singer. However, there were solid moments - "Synchronicity 2", "Message in a Bottle", and a few others - where the band delivered the goods. Good show, overall? Um .... sure. Worth $225? Um .... Suggest removal of this commentJune 19, 2007
policephile
Sure they changed some of their songs, but it's been 25 years and they've changed, too. I don't think any of their changes worsened the songs and only reflected their own maturity. Worth $250? I don't think anyone is, but it was certainly worth my $65 ticket, and then some.Since no one has mentioned it, Sting's son's band Fiction Plane was interesting. Joe Sumner sounded exactly like his father 25 years ago, with a little Bono thrown in. Suggest removal of this comment
June 19, 2007