She & Him  | |
| Leonard Cohen | |
| Gary Louris | |
| STARS & MIRACLE FORTRESS | |
| Josh Rouse | |
| Born Ruffians & Caribou | |
| Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band | |
| The Bicycles | |
 | The Police |
| Edwin McCain & Low Stars |
The Police June 23, 2007 Reviewed by Susan Brooks One of the most exciting band reunions in recent memory is the reformation of new wave pioneers The Police. Twenty-three years after their initial breakup, the trio announced dates for a live tour, sending both the music industry and the ticket-buying public into a tizzy. Highly influential in their heyday and a staple of rock radio even today, the band split due to internal tensions and, despite at least one attempt at reconciliation in 1986, never managed to gel any sort of further formal collaboration. They became the world’s most famous wedding band when they played together at Sting’s nuptials to Trudie Styler, but never followed that with either new material or public performances. They’ve made up for that with this massive world tour and some hints of possible future releases, if the mojo is still there. The stars certainly aligned for the Dodger Stadium show in Los Angeles. The Police opened with the haunting “Message in a Bottle,” and it was like the past two decades never happened: Sting, Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers hit every note in perfect sync with each other. It was easy to see why they were and are so lastingly popular. Every song brought back youthful memories: “Walking On the Moon,” “Don’t Stand So Close to Me,” “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic,” etc. – the list goes on and on, one great song after another, each with a rich personal context to accompany it. It is no secret why the band topped the charts for most of the five years that they were together. The Police helped invent the signature new wave sound, and put their own spin on it, with additions of jazz, reggae and Sting’s erudite inclination to Jungian psychology. Their final album, Synchronicity, based on Jung’s theory of connectedness, was strongly represented in this set list, with “Wrapped Around Your Finger,” “Walking in Your Footsteps,” “King of Pain” and “Every Breath You Take” all featured. Some older songs made the cut, as well – the seminal “Roxanne” brought cheers, and the band also made several more subtle choices, including “All I Want is To Be Next to You,” “Driven to Tears” and “I Can’t Stand Losing You,” all a fair expression of Police fans’ feelings regarding the band’s breakup and long absence from the music scene. Welcome indeed is this return, whether it is a one-off or proves to be more enduring. The show’s first opening band Fiction Plane is fronted by Joe Sumner, Sting’s son from his ill-fated first marriage. The group is also a trio, but that is the only similarity they share with the Police: Fiction Plane plays nineties-influenced rock, with echoes of Nirvana and Faith No More. Being a newer band and first on, they were at a decided disadvantage with this large scale arena set-up, because they were billed so early that almost no one had arrived yet and they had to play against a totally plain black backdrop masking the bulk of the stage while final touches were put on the Police’s more elaborate setting. With their black clothes, they could barely be seen even in the bright sunlight, but they soldiered through and played a solid set. Second openers Foo Fighters fared better, and are always great fun to see live. Dave Grohl is so happy to be a rock star that he plays every show as if it was his first, or his last. It’s hard sometimes to see how he summons such persistent intensity; mere mortals don’t have that level of energy, but as a former member of Nirvana and founder of his own longstanding band, Grohl is in a class by himself. He got so excited at one point that he ran out into the audience, trailed by a comet’s tail of bodyguards. Foo Fighters have great material, and obligingly played favorites including “My Hero,” “Learn to Fly,” “Everlong” and “Best of You.” They had more to work with visually, too, than poor Fiction Plane – they rated video screens and a light show, which was much more like it. Grohl introduced the Police with the humble statement, “It’s an honor to be here opening for the biggest band in the world: The Police.” Coming from a man who himself was once in another “world’s biggest band,” that’s a statement of honor indeed. |  |
Take Me Home - FAQ - Contact Us - Privacy Policy - Donate
©2004-2008, Being There Media.
ISSN 1718-5033 Being There Magazine