My Whisky experience

[Omaha_Perez]

Hi there,

I was one of the lucky people selected by this awesome site to get into the Whisky. I apologize for not posting before the event but Giovanni got me a little paranoid... since I use my real name on here, Gio suggested I might want to be careful in case someone was desperate enough to try to pose as me to get in. So better safe than sorry!

It was great to meet Sockii, Divemistress and Conroy in person and just unreal seeing The Police ten feet away from me. I've posted a picture of the marquee at my blog (feel free to grab it): http://searchintodestroy.blogspot.com/

Here is my post about the experience:

Thank you Giovanni for hooking me up with the rehearsal ticket, you are my new hero! And thank you Stewart, you’ve been my hero for 24 years now!

I was 12 when the Synchronicity tour came around and unsuccessful in convincing my mother that I needed to be there. Mom may have inadvertently created a monster; for the next 5 years The Police was practically all I talked about.

I was so excited in 1986 when I went to the first stop of the Amnesty International tour in San Francisco. The Police were heavily rumored to be appearing. My heart sank when Sting came out with his Blue Turtles band - and I liked them! I couldn’t believe my lousy luck when a few nights later The Police joined the tour. I was thrilled that the final stop was televised but that was extremely bittersweet, to say the least. At 15 the symbolism of The Police passing their instruments to the members of U2 was not lost on me.

So 21 years later, wow! I had completely given up on The Police ever reforming.
Until today I had seen all of the guys perform solo on numerous occasions but never together as The Police. I was stunned last week when I found out I had been selected to see them at The Whisky. I told my 3 year-old son Lennon, “Hey, I’m going to see The Police on Monday!” He said, “I want to go!” I said, “Sorry buddy, I’ve only got one ticket.” “That’s ok,” he said, “I’ll ride on your shoulders!” Awesome kid! Friday my uncle called and I told him I was seeing The Police and Lennon was in the background shouting, “Me, too!”

Lennon stayed up a little to watch The Police with me on the Grammy telecast last night. “Ladies and gentleman, we are The Police and we’re back!” I never thought I’d hear those words out of Sting’s mouth. That got me pumped up and then of course our boys killed on the telecast. Just fantastic! Lennon was dancing around clapping his hands along with me. I was just giddy after seeing that and knowing I would be seeing them in the tiny Whisky A Go Go the next morning. A little too giddy as it turned out…

I had been doing well all weekend, not getting over-excited, but last night I barely got any sleep. I had told myself I was going to go to sleep early and get my rest, be fresh for the morning’s event. Well, that was out the window; I was just too excited. When I finally did begin to drift off, hours after my first attempt at getting too sleep I found myself worrying that I was going to wake up in an alternate reality, a more realistic reality in which no, of course you’re not going to see The Police at The Whisky and no, of course The Police aren’t reuniting for a massive tour! What, are you crazy?

Many of you have probably viewed the live web cast already so you know The Police opened with “Message In A Bottle” then on to “When The World Is Running Down, You Make the Best of What’s Still Around”, did the announcement and Q & A, then on to “Can’t Stand Losing You” and closed with “Roxanne”. I haven’t watched the playback yet but seeing them together in such a tiny venue was all that I could have hoped it would be (well, other than a longer set!).

I was dead center in the middle of the tiny Whisky standing room area. Drummer Qwest Love with his giant afro was two people in front of me, but I had a clear view of all three of the guys and only occasionally had to bob my head to one side to see. The camaraderie was completely genuine and the playing was unbelievable. Stewart was a force of nature behind those drums, Sting was in great voice and Andy killed! (Stewart’s drumming is so exciting, it occurred to me Sting must have hated that in the old days – drawing attention away from him.) Andy’s solo on “When the World Is Running Down” was spectacular. It’s great to see that all these years later, they’ve finally relaxed their old rule about extended solos. I hope to see a lot of extended jams when they tour this summer, and I hope they switch up their set list from night to night. I am going to see them as many times possible, I’ll see you there.

[Grant]

R00ling so far omaha-- keep talkin... we're listening.

[animal]

Thanks Omaha for a great review

[Jose]

8) cool really cool you also be there!!! Is like you won the lotto!!! Great story!!

[blueseattle]

Whoa Quest Love... that's awesome. It sounded like a great time!

[georgygirl]

Thank you very much Omaha (Perez is Spanish last name) to share with us your Police's experience.

And the shot is cool...

[conroy]

It was a great pleasure meeting you, Omaha and glad we all (me, you, Sockii, and Dive) were able to have a wonderful lunch at the Backstage Cafe after the concert. There is something magical about tht place and I'm glad we were also to express to Chandra in person what Ian meant to us and that she is able to continue his memory and spirit by keeping it open for us to commisserate the way we did today after the show. It was like entering the magic wardrobe into Narnia in the middle of LA.

[Omaha_Perez]

Hey Conroy,

I've got to agree with you about the Backstage Cafe, and that Buffalo Burger was fantastic!

Jose, I was really happy for you when they announced they would be heading for South America towards the end of the year!

[Jose]

Thanx Omaha!! I hope they will come to Lima!!! Will be my dream!!

About the rehearsals is outstanding... see you boys there... THE POLICE looks so relaxed, funny, easygoing and with full energy... here in Peru the coverage of THE POLICE reunion was really great and big... front cover into the main newspaper of my country about THE POLICE on Grammy as the best show of night with a pic of them on the stage, coverage of THE POLICE at Grammy Awards at TV news, today at peruvain TV also shows part of the rehearsals... ( I phoned the media to be in touch with the signal hehehe) well is that here THE POLICE is a BIG NAME!!!

If you want to watch free again and again the rehearsals go here:

http://news.sky.com/skynews/livenewsevents

Regards from Lima,

JOSE

PS: take a drink in my name at L.A.

[Divemistress of the Dark]

Aw, we had several drinks, for everybody on the Forum, at the Backstage. Can you hear me hiccuping from here?

[Jose]

[quote="Divemistress of the Dark"]Aw, we had several drinks, for everybody on the Forum, at the Backstage. Can you hear me hiccuping from here? ;)[/quote]

Yeah it sounds like an Stewart bell... SALUD for that!!!

Ps: by the way, I don't drink liquor... only natural juice or light yogurth :oops: 8)

[sockii]

[quote="Divemistress of the Dark"]Aw, we had several drinks, for everybody on the Forum, at the Backstage. Can you hear me hiccuping from here? [/quote]

Oh yeah, Sunday night, I think I definitely had enough to drink for the entire forum. The only way I could attempt to calm the butterflies.

Besides writing up a report, I'm going to try to put together a little photoscrapbook from the various folks who were there this weekend for my website. We couldn't bring cameras inside the venue but we took a lot of fun shots around town and at Backstage.

All right, my flight is boarding in fifteen minutes...see you all tomorrow!

[Omaha_Perez]

My son said another funny thing I forgot to mention. Sunday night, within seconds of the boys launching into "Roxanne" my son said, "I'm the drummer, I'm the drummer!" Ha ha! I'd forgotten about that but he asked to see it again tonight and he said the same thing... actually this time he said, "I'm the drummer, dad! You can be the singer." Ha ha ha.

[Unorganism]

Wow! Thanks for sharing in your experience. I have to say that I am super jealous! I live a stone's throw from the Whisky and was debating all yesterday and this morning if I should play hooky from work and go hang out their just hoping that I could talk my way in! They sounded amazing and Andy's solo during the "Voices/ World is Running Down" medly was perhaps the longest solo that Sting ever tolerated from him. This is a good sign!! As is no backing vocalists on the tour!

Viva La Policia!