OT-Police play their last show

[Angiekay]

Wow, what a run, I'm so glad I got to see them a couple times!! FIfth biggest money maker of all time....SWEET!!


NEW YORK (AP) -- During a lengthy reunion tour that concludes Thursday, The Police didn't necessarily resolve the conflicts that blew apart one of rock's most successful groups nearly 25 years ago.

At least its members seem to understand them better.

"People don't really change," guitarist Andy Summers told The Associated Press. "We're the same three (jerks) we always were. I'm actually quite proud of the fact that it's gone on as long as it has."

The Police had initially planned to end their 30-year reunion tour a year ago in Giants Stadium, bringing full circle to a career where the first U.S. show was in New York's grungy CBGBs nightclub.

Things were going so well, both personally and as a business, that they kept adding legs; the reunion tour will end as one of the five biggest money-making rock tours of all time.

The full circle idea stuck, however. The 96th and final show of the tour will be in New York's Madison Square Garden, a benefit for two local public television stations.

At the simplest level, Summers said it has been immensely satisfying to see the faces of fans who had grown up listening to songs like "Roxanne," "Don't Stand So Close To Me" and "Every Breath You Take."

"I'm in front of the stage and you literally see people break out into sobs or kiss each other and jump around expressing joy," he said. "It's been quite emotional in many ways."

Some things never change: Summers was stuck in the middle between the "two kids scrapping on either side," headstrong singer and composer Sting and drummer Stewart Copeland, the volatile anchor of the band's meld of punk rock, reggae and jazz.

Copeland is a visceral musician, one who sees music as a spontaneous exercise of joy and who loves the creative process. Copeland views Sting as a musical genius, but one sure of his ideas and not really interested in collaboration. Now that Copeland has spent several years composing film music, hiring musicians to play exactly the notes he wrote, he can understand why he drives Sting nuts.

"When he exercises his right to have it the way he imagined it, it's a problem for both him and me," he said. "I just can't do it. I can't remember it. I have my own ideas. I'm incorrigible."

When he was 25 years old, he couldn't understand all this, said Copeland, now 56.

Sting, Copeland and Summers would occasionally socialize after the band broke up in 1984, "but not really to the extent where we were able to clear up all of our misconceptions about each other," he said. "It was really good for us to figure out what made the band work and what didn't work, so we could appreciate each other unconfused by these other issues."

Working with Sting has been inspiring, he said, "but, man, I need to breathe sometimes."

He doesn't want to overemphasize the conflicts, because Copeland said they've really been having a good time on the road.

Copeland gave another hint to his personality when he trashed the band's performance over the Internet after the first couple of gigs. "We are the mighty Police and we are totally at sea," he wrote on his blog.

The last leg of the tour has contained the best shows, he said.

"As we're getting more into it and less uptight about living the legend, it is actually becoming the stuff that got us here," he said.

So is this really the end?

"Yes," Copeland said. "It was the commitment in the beginning that made it possible, that it was a finite commitment. That has actually made it a lot of fun."

Same question to Summers. Is this really the end?

Yes, but ...

Maybe it's because he's seen the history of bands like the Eagles, who are now a fully functioning recording and touring unit again after once saying hell would freeze over before they would reunite.

"I'm fully prepared to say that was it, we're fine and we're done," Summers said. "On the other hand, I'm fully prepared if someone comes back in a couple of years and says we ought to give it a go. You have to consider it.

"A lot of bands, like the Eagles and probably numerous other ones, everyone sort of matures and they realize that it's fantastic business and the impetuosity that comes with being very young and walking away from something that is really successful, you kind of get over that."

He said he doesn't expect it to happen, but "that's the model that's out there for me."

[Saint John]

Can't stand the band and can't say that they have even one song that I like, but I do respect the shit out of their professionalism for putting together an awesome reunion tour for their fans despite their personal differences.

[Angiekay]

Well, for those of us who DO appreciate good music:

The Police will release a live CD/DVD set from the tour, called The Police: Certifiable, on October 7th, which will be available only at Best Buy, according to Billboard.com. The show was shot and recorded during the band's stop in Buenos Aries. Copeland's son, filmmaker Jordan Copeland, has directed a tour documentary called Better Than Therapy, which will also be included on the DVD.
Best Buy will also be webcasting most of the encore from tonight's concert in New York, starting at 10:45 p.m. ET at the website BestBuy.com/thePolice.


The track list for The Police: Certifiable:
"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"
"Hole in my Life"
"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"
"King of Pain"
"So Lonely"
"Every Breath You Take"
"Next to You"

[Luvsaugeri]

Well, for those of us who DO have good taste in music:

The Police will release a live CD/DVD set from the tour, called The Police: Certifiable, on October 7th, which will be available only at Best Buy, according to Billboard.com. The show was shot and recorded during the band's stop in Buenos Aries. Copeland's son, filmmaker Jordan Copeland, has directed a tour documentary called Better Than Therapy, which will also be included on the DVD.
Best Buy will also be webcasting most of the encore from tonight's concert in New York, starting at 10:45 p.m. ET at the website BestBuy.com/thePolice.


The track list for The Police: Certifiable:
"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"
"Hole in my Life"
"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"
"King of Pain"
"So Lonely"
"Every Breath You Take"
"Next to You"

Thanks for the info Angie. I definitely want to pick this up. I got to see them once on this tour. I'm gonna try and catch that webcast tonight as well.

[X factor]

"A lot of bands, like the Eagles and probably numerous other ones, everyone sort of matures and they realize that it's fantastic business and the impetuosity that comes with being very young and walking away from something that is really successful, you kind of get over that"


Hmmmmmm....Neal, are you reading this?????????????

[Tito]

It was a good show last year.

[Red13JoePa]

JMJ, is it possible that Copeland is a bigger prima donna than Sumner????

Dude has NEVER been able to get over himself, and the most talented of them, Summers just does his shit and keeps his yap shut.

[Liam]

Thanks Angie. I'll be picking up that DVD when it's released. My only complaint is that So Lonely is a MUCH better closer than Next To You. But, I guess I can bypass my complaints since this is probably the last thing I'll get from this band.

[Angiekay]

JMJ, is it possible that Copeland is a bigger prima donna than Sumner????

Dude has NEVER been able to get over himself, and the most talented of them, Summers just does his shit and keeps his yap shut.

If you've ever seen or heard Stewart do an interview instead of reading his words, you'd be able to understand him better. He comes off bad in written press but 90% of what he says is tongue in cheek. That being said, I think very FEW artists aren't arrogant in some form or another.

[Angiekay]

Thanks Angie. I'll be picking up that DVD when it's released. My only complaint is that So Lonely is a MUCH better closer than Next To You. But, I guess I can bypass my complaints since this is probably the last thing I'll get from this band.

I agree...I"m also VERY disappointed "Bring On The Night" and "The Bed's Too Big Without You" isn't included.

[Liam]

Thanks Angie. I'll be picking up that DVD when it's released. My only complaint is that So Lonely is a MUCH better closer than Next To You. But, I guess I can bypass my complaints since this is probably the last thing I'll get from this band.

I agree...I"m also VERY disappointed "Bring On The Night" and "The Bed's Too Big Without You" isn't included.

Same here. At least I got the '79 show with those on it.

[separate_wayz]

Well, for those of us who DO appreciate good music:

The Police will release a live CD/DVD set from the tour, called The Police: Certifiable, on October 7th, which will be available only at Best Buy, according to Billboard.com. The show was shot and recorded during the band's stop in Buenos Aries. Copeland's son, filmmaker Jordan Copeland, has directed a tour documentary called Better Than Therapy, which will also be included on the DVD.
Best Buy will also be webcasting most of the encore from tonight's concert in New York, starting at 10:45 p.m. ET at the website BestBuy.com/thePolice.


The track list for The Police: Certifiable:
"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"
"Hole in my Life"
"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"
"King of Pain"
"So Lonely"
"Every Breath You Take"
"Next to You"

Great concert -- saw them in Columbus, Ohio (front row-ish) on May 4th. Wish they had played "Secret Journey", but I guess that's hoping for too much (since they've played it live only twice ever, I think). Anyway, I knew when I saw them that the chance of The Police touring again is somewhere between slim and none (and slim has left the room). Yeah, they may do a one-off show again sometime, but I can't see Sting and Stewart Copeland sharing the stage again for 96 tour dates .....

Stewart Copeland and Steve Smith do share one thing in common, by the way: "Modern Drummer" magazine listed both of them among the 25 Drum Gods of all time. Quite a damn honor for both of them, and one well-deserved ......

[UncleKG]

Can't stand the band and can't say that they have even one song that I like

How is that possible?

King of Pain
Synchronicity II
Wrapped around your finger

Hell, the ENTIRE Synchronicity album...

Don't stand so close to me
Every little thing she does is magic
Spirits in the material world

I just don't get how there is not at least ONE song you like by them. They're all very capable musicians as well. Ah, well. To each his own.

[brywool]

The Police have always been a great band. Stuart Copland is a MONSTER drummer. Seriously, one of the best to every be recorded onto a piece of plastic.
For me, the first album is still their best. It rocked more, had a sense of humor and was just friggin' brilliant. I didn't go see them on the tour because I saw them on the Synchronicity tour (god, with the Fixx and the Thompson Twins- oy!) and that was really enough for me. The Syncrhonicity album sold so much and was played so much that I got sick of it, really burned me out on the Police - other than Synchronicity (the original, not II), Tea in the Sahara, and Murder By Numbers. The rest of that album was too smooth for me. When all their backup vocals were recorded on the Grammy's last year, that kind of put me off going actually. Still, a great band with some really great songs.

[Saint John]

Can't stand the band and can't say that they have even one song that I like

How is that possible?

King of Pain
Synchronicity II
Wrapped around your finger

Hell, the ENTIRE Synchronicity album...

Don't stand so close to me
Every little thing she does is magic
Spirits in the material world

I just don't get how there is not at least ONE song you like by them. They're all very capable musicians as well. Ah, well. To each his own.

Sorry, but Sting's voice, much like Geddy Lee's, is just plain awful to these ears. Ironically, if I had to pick one song that I kind of like it would be Roxanne.

[johnroxx]

Wow, what a run, I'm so glad I got to see them a couple times!! FIfth biggest money maker of all time....SWEET!!

Third actually, behind the Stones' A Bigger Bang tour and U2's Vertigo tour, both of which spanned 2005 to 2007.

Glad you got to see them, Angie. I passed, and am kind of regretting it now.

;^)

[7 Wishes]

Wow. I think a lot of Sting's solo stuff is remarkable...

I Hung My Head
Fragile
Why Should I Cry For You
St. Agnes and the Burning Train
Desert Rose
Fields of Gold
Mad About You

Ghost Story is my favourite...

"The moon's a fingernail and slowly sinking
Another day begins and now I'm thinking
That this indifference was my invention
When everything I did sought your attention

You were my compass star
You were my measure
You were a pirate's map
A buried treasure

If this was all correct
The last thing I'd expect
The prosecution rests
It's time that I confess: I must have loved you"

[weatherman90]

Can't stand the band and can't say that they have even one song that I like, but I do respect the shit out of their professionalism for putting together an awesome reunion tour for their fans despite their personal differences.

I'm with you 100% there. Can't really tolerate their music for very long.

[Loneman1]

I like several of their songs, but I thought their reunion tour was already over.