STEWART COPELAND

In today's New York Times: "From the Police to the Met: A Renaissance Man"



http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/13/arts/music/13sting.html

The only dissonant tones likely to be heard at the Met when Sting plays his first-ever performances there on Tuesday and Wednesday with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra of Britain will be coming from audience members trying to sing along on “Roxanne.” ...

This former Police singer and bassist turned phenomenally successful pop singer that he is still capable of being humbled. That quality may not be immediately visible in his sumptuous Central Park West duplex...

Sting...knows how [his eclecticism] makes him look to some listeners. “Of course I do,” he said. “I come off as being pretentious and all that stuff. Don’t care.”

Wow. "Don't care". (Stewart should slap him with a lawsuit over royalties for that one.)

all that stuff about him being pretentious, clearly he loves it; talking in the 80's about being a cerebral pop star, i remember an old magazine cover with "pretentious, moi?" as the tag line.......i dont think that the public think he's pretentious musically or because of his eclectic musical choices, i dont think the public generally give a shit as long as they like it, his music has always been popular but spoiled by the reputation he was given for being a twat.

i think the media, quoted him using the word 'pretentious in the 80's. but then in the 90's used the word pretentious but meant 'twat', then in the Noughties that 'twat' became to mean 'hypocrite'.

for the record i think the two or 3 events which caused perception of him to shift were:
[*] 'saving the rainforest' and going on chat shows with Raoni. clearly gordo did do some great things there; being ahead of the green curve, raising awareness, demarkating a large area of forest etc , but also JP Deutilleux took money from the organisation and was sued, the set up of the rainforest foundation was critisised by other leading charities, people were listed as directors who had nothing to do with the group, flu was brought into the village etc, it's fair to say there were a few problems.
[*] talking about tantric sex. It doesn't matter that he said the 7 hours included a film and dinner (ho ho). in the mind of by-line writers' and sub-editors it became the most famous thing about him, and the public thought 'twat'.
[*] appearing in a jaguar car commercial with desert rose as the soundtrack..... am i right in thinking that gordo wasn't entirely happy about 'having' to do that either? but he clearly didnt put his foot down firmly enough and the public turned the 'pretentious/twat' label into one that said "hypocrite". this was compounded by Live Earth and by stories who's only focus was the fact that 'green campaigner' gordo has lots of houses around the world which he flies to regularly; gordo was quoted saying that meant that he saved on hotel bills or something equally unconvincing. the recent Paxman interview is a case in point:
Sting; " I know the public like to blame celebrities for the evils in this world"
Paxman; " No, they just think you're a hypocrite."

if anything i think he'd started to move away from those tags and i think he's a bit of a cock to remind everyone that he wants to be thought of as cerebral and a thinker, if he's not careful the whole cycle will begin again.

So, Smaxie, what do you *really* think of the beret-wearing, pretentious ball bag?



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And, Mon Frere, you've taken quite a risk posting something that says "No Stewart content," on here. However, Sting's "Don't Care," comment saved you.

no, no, no i was very careful to talk about the public and the media... i love the old fucker, just not aways what he says or does. i play my bass or guitar/s every day and everytime i do i thank dear old gordo for being the influence..... yeah he talks shit sometimes but i only hear it after it's been media'd and yeah he's turned out some cacky and repellent songs / appearances / guest spots but he wrote 'visions of the night' and 'they dance alone' and 'king of pain'.

('cacky'....? Enlighten the Yanks, hon...tho I'm reading 'crappy' methinks)