THE POLICE Vancouver / May 28 show

[GinaSuperCat]

I have to check out of the hotel and get my return travel underway shortly but I will have many opportunities sitting in various public transportation terminals and stations over the next day or so to write up more about last night (taking the bus to Seattle from Vancouver this afternoon, taking red eye from Seattle tonight, arriving in NC tomorrow and taking Amtrak back to Columbia tomorrow), so I don't have time to say much now (EXCEPT POLICE 2007 KICKS ASS, more on that later), but I have my trusty micro-notebook chock full of notes and other sundry things from the show and so I'll be posting when I can en route home!
Best to all & safe travels for all returning home!

[Jose]

great!!!

[Mercury Rising]

Hey all!!!
Right, so this show was also a blast although not as extraordinary for me than the first one (the long anticipation finally satisified...)
Once again I was in a killer seat, right next to the stage, no one in front of me - heaven! I had an absolutely clear cross-section view of Stew's set up, wow... I love the grand gong entrances! I was blown away just watching.., no... scrutinizing, his every move. Such precision and stamina!
In Stewart's court When the World, Wrapped Around, and the other-worldly King of Pain were absolutley fantastic...well... words can do no justice, simply beautiful percussion and timpani. He played his bells and whistles softer tonight, very beautiful! Then, the song where he actually achieved lift-off, I do believe I saw you elevating from your chair Stewart, this experience belongs to Next To You, the final song - as I had hoped they "kicked it loud" and fast, and faster, and even faster........ aaaahhhhhhhh!!! I amost fell into the pit backstage!
In other news.... Sting sounded splendid tonight, really! I have seen him perform a million times and tonight he was superb. Andy was in a really good mood compared to the first night, he was bouncy and playful and he rocked, especially in Driven to Tears, wow! Walking on the Moon was a huge hit with the crowd that really lifted the energy and, of course, Footsteps was sublime... you'll see why when you see them!

As for the low points, there aren't many... as Martini already mentioned, Murder by Numbers created a lull but it's a tip 'o the hat to Andy and that's important in the "team spirit" way, the bluesy style was nice. Unfortunately Invisible Sun, one of my all-time favourites, was waaayyyyyy too slow. I was confused - what? - why so slow?? It didn't make sense and was a wasted opportunity (in my humble opinion)

But enough... there will be more about Wednesday's show!!

[blueboy]

I'm sure it is just coincidence, but I almost felt like Stewart (or someone else involved) read my suggestions after the Fan Club show and made some changes last night. Stewart and Andy looked much better when the cameras were on them, and moving DSSCTM was a good move.

I kind of wish that the nights had been reversed as the Fan Club show was (IMO) a better show, and it would have been great to have had last night's larger crowd experience what we did on Sunday. I'm sure the pressure of opening night was incredibly intense, and even though they went off the rails every now and then, they still did a great job of keeping the train moving fast and furious in the right direction. My wife never noticed anything different last night, but as an over-"anal"lytical musician, they never really hit that magical "fluid" groove for me last night, and I could see it was a bit of a tough haul. Seeing as I am hyper critical of my own musical abilities, it was actually kind of nice to see that The Police are actually human, and not the unattainable Super Hero's I imagined them to be as I was growing up and learning to play. I hope that they are not too hard on themselves, as it is still very early on, and I'm sure that they will have the show down to a science very soon.

Some fans though, will never be happy until The Police show up in their own living room and play the songs in exactly the same key, at exactly the same tempo, with the same equipment, use a particular live sound engineer and do backflips off the drum riser during solos. These are the same people that are 40 years old and still living in Mom and Dad's basement, so I'm not too concerned about their opinion.

(Disclaimer: Yes I am 40, but No, I do not live with my parents.)

Now that I have that out of the way, I have some more suggestions.

After listening to the full recording of the Fan Club show, I am really starting to like a lot of the new arrangements. I can definitely see where Sting is going with them, but I'm not sure that they all translate to such large venues. Subtleties can work well in small venues, but in a big arena, a lot gets lost in the translation. If everyone in the audience was singing along at all times, I can see this approach working, but the fans are also a lot older now, and probably need a little more coaxing to "let go". Add in the fact that most Canadians are generally a little on the quiet and polite side, and some of the new slower arrangements can sound a bit "hollow" without full audience participation.

Personally I would suggest that Stewart controlled the tempo. Drummers instinctively know what tempo "feels right" at a given moment, and can adjust accordingly. I feel that Stewart is on a bit of a tempo "leash", and he's not totally comfortable with it. Sting's studio musicians are incredible, but they lack the personality and creativity of Stewart and Andy's playing. Sting shouldn't be trying to mold them into his band. They shine on the rock stuff, but still feel a little shaky on the "Sting" stuff. This is ROCK and ROLL man! Unleash the Hounds!

Anyway, as Stewart would inevitably bring up the tempos (which is a good thing), they will have to stretch out a few sections to keep the show to 2 hours so I have an idea. I think the show needs to have a definite "middle" section where the boys get a little more intimate and personal with the audience. I never thought I would say this, but I now think it would be really cool to have Stewart come to the front of the stage to do an acoustic version of DSSCTM with the boys. They could joke that he has finally been promoted to "musican" etc., and maybe have Stewart stand "too close" to Sting or something for a bit of light hearted humour. The slow & sexy version of DSSCTM that Sting keeps trying to do doesn't really work for me as a band song, but it might be better suited to a more gentle acoustic approach. This would also be great to provide some contrast and give the audience a breather before launching into the second half.

Also, Sting didn't mention to the audience that they had redone some of the arrangements (like he did on Sunday), so I think some people were probably scratching their heads at first. I think he needs to prepare them up front. The spot light guy needs to have his hand slapped as well for missing the cue when Stewart runs around the stage!

Sorry for the long post, but I am just as passionate about the Police as I have ever been, and I want them to give the best show they possibly can. My hat goes off the the guys for doing a great job, and I am forever grateful for the opportunity I thought I would never have.

[georgygirl]

DirtyMartiniii thanks for your abstract.

I like it specially on this:

[quote]"on the drums, Mr. Stewart Copeland" sounded like it might start a riot.
[/quote]



I can imagine that moment was an awesome experiencet!

[DirtyMartini]

[quote="blueboy"]I kind of wish that the nights had been reversed as the Fan Club show was (IMO) a better show, and it would have been great to have had last night's larger crowd experience what we did on Sunday. [/quote]

Yeah, Merc said the same thing after the show -- but I felt the opposite. I thought the second show was a much bigger explosion because of the size of the crowd and because SC was getting fast and furious like you said. I agree he still seems a bit leashed -- but I felt that he was much more leashed during the FC show. (Which does make a lot of sense considering the FC show was a dress rehearsal for a small audience and Opening Night was the ginormous blowout.)

For me, I think the major highpoints were WTWIRD, CSLY/Regatta, So Lonely, Footsteps, and the Next to You reprise (plus a lot of incredible drum moments in between). SC tore. Them. Up.

Plus, Sting and Andy were so much more dynamic in stage presence last night (it was last night, wasn't it?) cuz they had a larger audience to play to and could actually use the circular ramp thing. I'm hoping that once they really get used to it that they'll use it even more. (Stingo -- go watch some footage of Steven Tyler!)

Random thoughts:

Setlist -- yes, so far it's the same. (The FC show was the dress rehersal for Opening Night; hence, same show -- though they did make one change. We've only had 1 official show remember.) Going forward though, we'll have to see. Like everyone (and Stewart, it would seem), I hope for revolving setlists -- but as I've said, seems that Sting can be an old lady with his routines.

OH! Speaking of, Stingo really needs to learn how to talk extemporaneously. I feel for SC and AS, especially if they're going to have to do the "intro the band" joke every night for a year. His vocal performance varies each night, so why is his banter scripted? What is that?

Although he did get in a few "mother fuckers" in there that were absent from the FC version.

Sting did some kick ass bass playing and had some amazing pitch and belting going on. Though I do hope that as time goes on, he'll feel more comfortable really letting the hounds lose and being more spontaneous in performance.

I do agree with sockii elsewhere that I'm not always on board with Sting's phrasings. Honestly, I think that's the one major change that I would personally suggest if asked, to get Sting to rein in the phrasings. Variation is good (as mentioned above), but with songs that are anthemic, the audience needs that grounding in familiarity. But with Sting's phrasing, the audience can sometimes get blocked. I think that the audience would be willing to get on board with just about any instrumental arrangement you throw at them as long as they can stay engaged with their participatory element, which is the lyric. If they can hold onto the lyric easier, you can take them just about anywhere.

Although it is weird to hear people say that the audience wasn't singing at all -- from where I was, I was bombarded by voices for most of the show. Weird.

I'm also confused by people saying that they haven't heard that anyone was blown away -- are we not using enough caps or something? I've been running on no sleep for a couple of days, so my own excitement that I had while writing about the FC show had/has been replaced with exhaustion while writing for Opening Night. But though my tone was/is more subdued, I can tell you that I HAD A FUCKING BLAST AT OPENING NIGHT!!! And I can tell you that the audience went absolutely ballistic between encores -- and like I said, when Sting presented "Mr. Stewart Copeland on drums," hot damn and holy shit. We're talking World Cup-level screaming.

I still cannot get over the power and sound that SC gets out of that kit.

Intersting idea for DSSCTM, blueboy, cuz I think the hybrid version loses the tension and creepiness of the original. (Although even the original live back in the day never quite sounded great somehow. Is there just something about that song that doesn't translate live?)

SC played about 2/3s of Bed's Too Big with his eyes closed. Was amazing to watch. Just an observation.

Most of the tempo changes don't bother me personally, though as I just noted to W&S elsewhere, I think the setlist does get lulled a bit by the fact that so many of the requisite hits are slower tempo songs. I could personally kick Walking on the Moon and EBYT off the setlist -- but that can't happen. I hope that as they go along they tweak the setlist with a few more faster songs/bring the tempo up on a few more songs to better balance the requisite slower ones.

I know they're obligated to play the Top 40 hits -- but it's in the rocking blow-out songs that The Police always did -- and holy shit still do -- shine.

Regardless of my personal critiques, overall I thought it was an incredible launch. And you know that like any show, it's going to get better and tighter as they get more practice.

And of course, Copelanders, take everyone's opinions (including mine) with a grain of salt. We all go into shows differently -- some people want something specific; some people want to be surprised; some people have demands; etc. Only you will know when you get there if it suits you. Judging from what most of you folks have said you want, etc., I think the majority of you are going to have one hell of a time.

Apologies if this post doesn't make sense. Slowly turning into goo.

[sockii]

>After listening to the full recording of the Fan Club show, I am really
>starting to like a lot of the new arrangements. I can definitely see
>where Sting is going with them, but I'm not sure that they all translate
>to such large venues. Subtleties can work well in small venues, but in a
>big arena, a lot gets lost in the translation.

This is an AWESOME observation, blueboy, yes!

I'm immediately thinking of the Foo Fighters and the difference between their In Your Honor rocking stadium tour, and then the acoustic tour that followed in much more intimate venues. The acoustic tour was incredible, with many songs changed up considerably (and/or offering a chance to play a lot of the softer songs in their catalog), yet it would have probably gone over like a lead balloon in a large arena. The music needed an intimate setting to shine...maybe that's the issue some are sensing with some of the song choices and re-arrangements here? It's a bit of a tough sell to an arena-rock crowd?

A middle section as you mentioned might be perfect for these songs. Yes did something like this the last time I saw them. Right after the mid-show intermission (which I see the boys aren't taking here), the band came out in a small circle and played a set of 2-3 acoustic numbers (Roundabout and a cool version of Owner of a Lonely Heart, if I remember correctly), before going back to rocking the old standbys at full force. It worked really well and sort of "signalled" to the audience that this was a bit of a breather before barelling back into the rockers.

[DirtyMartini]

AND a middle section would make the slower tempo hits a particular featured element in itself rather than them seeming like interruption to the blasting rock tunes.

Would be great to see them use the slower tempo stuff to an effect rather than risk them seeming like a buzzkill.

[Ben]

I told my brother in Vancouver that if he could get tickets, I would fly over from Toronto. So here I am.

Well, the show was a dream come true. I never thought I would see the Police live in concert and there they were. The songs were great. It is nice to see your favourite group in concert without a new album to promote. You just get hit after hit.

The crowd was very loud through most of the show. During the middle portion, people started sitting down. This is when I realized that maybe this will not be the greatest of all tours, but that's OK, I was happy.

Fiction Plane was, um, just Plain. The members' attitude was fine but the songs are not fun. Apart from the ticket price, the nepotism in the opening slot was the biggest disappointment.

The band kicked off with Message in a Bottle. The crowd was very loud. I could hear some backing vocals coming from... well some tape I suppose. The backing vocals did not appear much during the rest of the show, I am happy to report. Stewart and Andy chimed in once in a while.

Murder By Numbers was great. I thought Wrapped Around Your Finger and Walking in Your Footsteps would be boring but they turned out to be among the better songs thanks to Stewart's creativity on various percussion instruments.

The new arrangements were generally pleasing, but Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic was disappointing, the live version just can not come close to the studio near-pop-perfection of the album version. I was not looking for a note for note reproduction, but I sure missed that great piano riff and the vocal effects.

Roxanne was bogged down by the Spinal Tapish jazz exploration.

But when you have King of Pain back to back with Every Breath You Take, is there any better pairing?

Next to You concluded, the group bowed and hugged each other, a touching moment, their relief and happiness evident.

[Dietmar]

too bad that the PC at my hotel is very slow and I can't watch videos.
but I was interviewed and so that's probably me on that video clip.

2nd show / telecaster only used during MURDER

mercuryrising led me (among others) to the places where the POLICE rehearsed in vancouver
I picked up a water bottle Sting emptied at the reserve plus a huge piece of the carpet on which they rehearsed for 3 weeks.

I'll cut out pieces and spread them among interested fans tomorrow.

dietmar

[DirtyMartini]

Dietmar, you are awesome.

[Divemistress of the Dark]

You're seriously going to distribute the carpet? Now THAT's hardcore.

Whatever would we do without you, D? Congrats on the interview!!

[cpriddims]

Sounds like a good suggestion would be for everyone to have a beverage or two (or ten for some) before seeing the show. Perhaps to loosen up for the new arrangements and block out some of the type-a analysis that's been going on here (and starting to ruin some vibes!).

The setlist is only going to get better, performance wise, pacing-wise, order-wise. Our boys are going to tweek it. They always have.

The crowd response is going to get even better, especially when they hit the US (sorry Vancouver). Wait until the American diehard crowds (who can't afford the airfare and Vancouver sky high taxes) get there. Let's remember it was America who first whole-heartedly embraced the Police. (not trying to be patriotic or anything)

Perhaps the people not sure of what they are seeing and not completely blown away are over-analyzing what they see at the show, instead of loosening up and just taking the music as it comes, in whatever form it comes.

I just hope the show has some loud and aggressive moments. I can handle anything else that happens with the music. I am just glad they got back together for us all to see. They are allowed their liberties with the music. Especially after all these years. We can at least give them that!

And by the frickin way..."Murder by Numbers" is one of the most brilliant Police songs ever, especially from a musician's standpoint not to mention the witty tongue-in-cheek lyrics. I hope that you all can recognize that so no more bitchin. Screw pleasing the "Stadium Audience." What exactly is a stadium audience and when did this enter as a category? Anyway, If they play "Murder" at Bonnaroo or Tampa I am going to be totally mesmerized and completely satisfied.

Maybe we should just shut up, loosen up, listen up, and dig the hell out of what we've been waiting the last twenty years for !

[olipunker]

can we have easily a bootleg ?

thanks!

[DirtyMartini]

Heh. Easy, CP -- everyone gets an opinion, even if folks don't like something. It doesn't change your feelings on the subject.

As for the Stadium Audience, while some of us -- and even some of the individual band members, I'd bet -- may agree, you have to understand why the Stadium Audience in this situation must be accounted for.