STEWART Australain press.They are doing official TOUR DVD...

[PT5150]

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/ ... 24,00.html

"The film crews hovering around the trio as they deconstruct Don't Stand So Close to Me include family members; Jordan Copeland recording for a future DVD"



Police back on the

July 19, 2007 12:00am
HUNDREDS of roadies, technicians and security people bustle around the giant stage as Sting, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland soundcheck that afternoon for a huge show at Dodger Stadium after a handful of sold-out arena concerts throughout California.

Though the Police were acknowledged as a British band in the late '70s and early '80s, Summers and Copeland live in LA and Sting has an ``absolutely incredible'' home in Malibu.

The film crews hovering around the trio as they deconstruct Don't Stand So Close to Me include family members; Jordan Copeland recording for a future DVD and regular video blogs, and Sting's son, Jake Sumner, who is part of a crew following Summers for a documentary about his photography.

Sting's eldest, Joe Sumner, will front opening band Fiction Plane in a few hours.

``We're going to change the key of the song because Stewart doesn't think I'm singing high enough,'' Sting tells the competition winners and Australian media baking in the front rows.

To save his voice for the shows, Sting isn't doing interviews -- not unusual for singers who face a year on a sold-out world tour. But he is chatty with the besotted fans and invites four of them on stage to help him sing.

``This could be very embarrassing, Sting, and I know you don't embarrass easily,'' quips Copeland, ever the court jester.

The first guy acquits himself well with his metal-edged voice on Don't Stand, the next absolutely nails the incredibly wordy and difficult Synchronicity II, and the last two -- a married couple -- are car crash on the very easy Message in a Bottle.

``This is the best soundcheck we've ever had, you guys are doing all the work,'' Summers says.
Later, Copeland seems a little taken aback when I suggest the on-stage banter had a certain edge to it. Was he taking the mickey?

``It's like with siblings. You get more angry and you express your anger much more with a sibling than you would dream of doing with someone at the office,'' he laughs.

``We don't watch our Ps and Qs with each other. And some of the people around me and certainly the people around Sting are astonished at the abuse we heap on each other.

``No one's spoken to Il Duce (Sting) like that in 20 years. There are times when we are going at it and we'll look around and see it's gone real quiet.''

The stoushes between the Police -- both back in their heyday and in the focused debates that characterise the rehearsals for this reunion -- are legend. You have to wonder whether, after all these years, Sting and Copeland are ``going at it'' like brothers would just for entertainment, because everyone expects it as much as they expect to hear the hits at the shows.

``No . . . that would be fun. It would be a glib thing to say, but no, I don't think so,'' Copeland insists.

``It's real important to us. The reason we became musicians is because it's really important, and at this point in our lives it's so obvious to me that this is better than that. So (as if to Sting) `What do you mean you want to do it that way? Helloooooo.'

``The thing is we are good medicine for each other and, in spite of everything, we recognise that.''
Summers seems to be the peacemaker this year. Copeland nominates him to win the ``Who Can Be Most Diplomatic'' contest.

``It's a very unaccustomed and strange role for Andy. His wife just can't believe it. Andy is a motherf---er, a fireball. He's no facilitator. He's not Mr Time Out, he's Mr Submachine Gun,'' Copeland says in hysterics.

There's no doubt this band is enjoying being back together. The drummer says the attraction of a world tour -- the ``coddling'', the crowds, the community of bandmates and crew -- drew an instant ``yes'' when Sting made the call.

It's 30 years since the Police began their seven-year bid for world domination, dominating the charts with hit pop songs that fused punk, reggae and jazz.

Since then, the Police have sold more than 40 million records, led by smash hits Message in a Bottle (1979), Walking on the Moon (1979), Don't Stand So Close to Me (1980), Every Little Thing She Does is Magic (1981) and Every Breath You Take (1983).

Their last ever concert was at the Melbourne Showgrounds in 1984 and Copeland is regularly reminded of it.

``I still have the confetti from the last time I was in Australia, from Melbourne, the last show. So much confetti landed on us that it's still falling out of my old flight cases. I was coughing it up for the next two years,'' he says

Their reunion was announced in February at the LA club Whisky A Go Go, the day after they had performed at the Grammy Awards.

They had long been in rehearsal at Sting's Tuscan villa, Il Palagio, starting with yoga and pilates before spending hours firing up the chemistry that had lain dormant for more than 20 years. And quibbling over details -- this key, that chord, the other note . . .

But there was great food -- and room service.

``In the Magic Stingdom? Yes yes yes, we did yoga and pilates . . . it's absolutely true,'' Copeland bellows.

``His humble abode is like a five-star hotel. There's room service. Three ladies come in and clean the room every day. And the laundering . . . you don't have to fill out a laundry list, they are pulling your knickers off your butt as you go to bed at night and ironing them.

``There are seven or eight kitchen staff and he has this chef out of New York, I want to marry the guy. And we'd have dinner in one of the different halls or out in this garden here or that garden over there. Mouth-watering. It was so beautiful.''

The Police, MCG, Saturday January 25. Tix $99-$250, on sale July 30, Ticketmaster, 136 100.

[sandy]

thanks for posting-loved the story!

once again, love the way Stewart called Sting "Il Duce"

such a smart ass!

[shyvixen]

Thanks for posting the story!

"His humble abode is like a five-star hotel. There's room service. Three ladies come in and clean the room every day. And the laundering . . . you don't have to fill out a laundry list, they are pulling your knickers off your butt as you go to bed at night and ironing them."

This may be my new fave Stewart quote right here.

[sandy]

liked that quote too. also liked this one:
Summers seems to be the peacemaker this year. Copeland nominates him to win the ``Who Can Be Most Diplomatic'' contest.

``It's a very unaccustomed and strange role for Andy. His wife just can't believe it. Andy is a motherf---er, a fireball. He's no facilitator. He's not Mr Time Out, he's Mr Submachine Gun,'' Copeland says in hysterics.

too funny!