The Police in Top Form!

After all the reunion tours by rock ‘n’ roll’s old guard that we’ve witnessed in recent years (Roxy Music, Genesis, Van Halen, Crowded House, Cream, Pixies and a few more), there are still some famous acts on the scene who never took a long break from playing live and making music. Among them are the Rolling Stones, Rush, the Eagles to a degree, and a few others. In January 2007 the news dropped that Police, who had been out of action since 1986 apart from two one-off appearances, were heading out on a world tour. With their Grammys performance, the news became flesh….. In the early ’80s they were among the most popular bands in the world. Bassist and singer Sting and drummer Stewart Copeland founded the trio in 1977, at a time when punk ruled. After the release of the single Roxanne, a big breakthrough didn’t exactly look likely, and on their first American tour they traveled around in a van. After the debut album Outlandos D’amour came the hugely successful Regatta de blanc, and by 1983 they were filling big arenas as if it were a joke. After 1986 they stopped playing, although they never publicly announced a breakup. To the treasure chest of pop and rock they contributed gems like Message In A Bottle, Don’t Stand So Close To Me, Every Breath You Take, King Of Pain, Wrapped Around Your finger….. Sting carried on with a super-successful solo career, while guitarist Andy Summers and drummer Stewart Copeland worked on less celebrated but still highly artistic projects in music and film.

In Vienna they played the 52nd show of the 2007 tour, so there were no doubts about them being rusty. The Stadthalle was packed to the last corner. Singer and bassist Sting, guitarist Andy Summers and drummer Stewart Copeland had been rehearsing in secret since last fall at Sting’s villa in Tuscany, preparing the ground and themselves for the comeback world tour. Tours by veteran, proven musicians with a confirmed place of honor in music history are still a powerful magnet for audiences. Several hundred Slovenian fans made it to the Vienna show too. The Police were known for simple choruses but complex songs; they came out of reggae and added sparkling touches to their musical mix that made their music timeless. All of this could be heard in abundance at the concert as well. Sting’s tenor stood out above all, unique as it is, blending superbly with Summers’ sharp guitar and Copeland’s eclectic drumming. For the opening act they picked Fiction plane, a band led by Sting’s son Joe Sumner, which is basically the same trio lineup as Police, with the son taking on the role of bassist and singer. His voice sounds remarkably like his father’s, just a few notches lower. It all stays in the family, then. Their music was a mix of modern rock and melodicism that reminded me of U 2, but they still had a touch of their own, and they got the crowd warmed up for the main part of the evening. If the reason for reactivating The Police wasn’t money, then I can only congratulate them on that honesty. The five albums that grace their discography offered a wide enough pool of songs, and the bulk of the show was made up of the biggest hits. The stage in the sold-out hall was pretty simple, oval-shaped, with plenty of room for just three performers. Copeland’s dominant drum kit, and the percussion with a gong behind it, was reflected in inventive color creations painted by the light show. Hanging from the ceiling were three big video screens, with another one on each side. We down on the floor had no complaints about the sound, even though I’d doubted how guitar, bass and drums would fill the sonic picture in a big hall. The professional work of the technicians really shone here. The Police were just as they were in the best years of their career, with no help from extra musicians or singers. Really, a pure, direct musical experience. Sting talked to the crowd in German, and he may have been a little reserved between some of the breaks, which weren’t too long anyway, since the music had the final word. Stewart Copeland is a brilliant drummer, incredibly fast and precise, and his hits still sound as fresh and youthful as they do on the records. Sting is of course a global star even without Police and an extremely capable bassist; his singing was always tied closely to how people take to his tenor, though you get used to it quickly. Guitarist Andy Summers is almost ten years older than the other two and, at fifty-four, is in very good musical shape. Some songs The Police polished up or reshaped with instrumental additions, where Summers had the most work, constantly adding new guitar licks and giving the songs a new look. The crowd welcomed every song with enthusiasm and backed up the biggest hits, Roxanne, Don’t stand so close to me, Every little thing she does is magic and of course the obligatory Every breath you take, with singing along.

The Police wrapped up the hour-and-fifty-minute show with Roxanne, King of pain, Every breath you take and the punk-spiced Next to You from the first album Outlandos D’amour from 1978. It was proven again that seasoned music veterans have tremendous power and inspiration even at an age when many would have thrown in the towel long ago; evidently the urge to prove their love of music, and maybe also of the money they’ll earn on this tour, is stronger than the inactivity that musical retirement would bring. For young musicians, Wednesday’s show was proof that music has to be taken extremely seriously as work, because true music lovers know who can give them the greatest satisfaction when it comes to experiencing music live.