Anyone with News From Edmonton, Let us Know!!

[bigbadma66]

Hey, gang,

I went to the Edmonton show on Saturday and was so pleased and excited to be there. I have been a fan since I saw the Police on German TV way back in the day. I missed out in the 80s and was really happy to know that I could have a chance finally to see my favorite band.
I thought Sting, Andy and Stewart looked great and I saw Sting come to take a look at the stage before the show started and saw all 3 of the guys walking out to the stage from behind- which was great. My boyfriend was grabbing a brew and he hurried back after hearing me shouting when I caught the glance.
I loved that they played my 2 favorite songs, Bed's Too Big and Can't Stand Losing. I thought the different percussion on various songs was innovative and really quite wonderful.
I am biased, of course, but I thought it was worth the wait I had to endure.

Debbie in Saskatchewan

[morrisminiman]

I drove from Regina, SK to Calgary up to Edmonton and back to Regina.
21 hours on the road over two days. Took the wife for her 40th birthday and the kids 16 and 13. Loved it! Great concert.

disappointments? rearranged verson of songs oh and I was in the bathroom for De do do do...

and the fact that there were ONLY 30,000 screaming fans. I expected more given that I was 9 hours away from Edmonton. I thought the place would be full. If the Police hadn't have broken up for 20 plus years that place would have been sold out for two shows with 60,000 at each.
c'est la vie.

[mykemitchell]

ahhh my first post....!!! I sat 12th row at the Edmonton show...and it was worth every penny. I was standing at attention when the GONG sounded and I didn't move from my seat for the whole show.

I especially liked the slower/jazzy feel to some of the songs. Sting was in fine form with his 200 year old Fender. Andy seemed a bit miffed at his pedals and soon zoned out but Stewart stole the show. It was defiently better than what I read about Vancouver. The drums sounds fantastic. LONG LIVE THE OCTOBAN !!

It was so good to see a band that that good communicate on stage. Subtle looks and smiles.....The songs kept pouring out. There was only one I did recognize or know every word to.

I've been a fan since I was 10 (1980) and biked down to the local record store to see if my "Evevy Little Thing" 45 was in stock. Sadly I never got it.....but that didn't stop my love for the band.

I've waited 27 years for this as we all have. Thank you guys. You have made my year !!!

myke

[Divemistress of the Dark]

(Hey, this kinda rules. Anyone get the sense that we picked up a bunch of new cool forum people after everyone clicked the link in the ridiculous news articles this week - and found out the truth about what STEWART really said?)

Welcome, folks! Glad to hear y'all had a ball.

[sockii]

Hi myke! Welcome to the forum, thanks for the show report!

[DirtyMartini]

Yes, thanks and welcome, everyone!

[GinaSuperCat]

Thanks so much for posting your reports from Edmonton...it's great to at least hear from those who were at the shows that we can't be at! <grin> And welcome to all the new posters...I'm glad the Police playing live is prompting people to post, it's great!! Cheers

[cpriddims]

A big THANK YOU for the awesome reporting which was tastefully done this time around, you know, without all the "Hey Sting Stew & Andy you should do this with this song because I don't like it" (wah-wah-wah) crap. That was getting really annoying.

Thank God for some non self-serving reporting going on!

[georgygirl]

Hi Debbie, thanks for sharing your emotions about the gig here.

I have a friend here (Carrie) that is also from Saskatchewan but now she is teaching here and already get married with a Wild Mexican boy!

[Worriedrabbit]

Flew in from Winnipeg ,which Sting mentioned"the first time we played Edmonton in 79,we drove from Winnipeg in a blizzard! This is much better" it was 30 out that day...O.K. so Stewart was the first out ,which drew the loudest applause.He was the crowd fave as mentioned...his kit had the octabon`s,but just two tom`s in front! I can`t confirm this but I think he actually had a doublepedal(bass)!...the big gong he bashed with arm raised high in the triumphant "WE ARE BACK" salute! was part of a percussion rack right behind his drum`s...which I still can`t believe I saw just 3 nights ago wow!They started with a strong "message in a bottle"... I`ve read Stewart wasn`t to thrilled with the "sloppy" sound ,dare I say...at Vancouver,Well now that we have youtube and all...you can judge for yourself!!But being there and listening asa whole,I have to say I was not only impressed but,I thought it sounded beautiful!! Everything was perfect ...the weather ,30`000 people singing ( I know that wasn`t a sellout,but I was there,and I`ll see them again in Winnipeg -they`re comin you wait!!!YO!Favorite song of the night was "the bed`s too big" Stew own`s that one! The kit wasn`t the same colour as the Grammy one-this one is navy blue with the same kinda "sparkles" for flair-NICE!But I gotta say what`s up Bro with those Puma outfit`s ...OH and the signiture snare sounded "MINTY" like a cannon !SWEET!! Especially for EEEYO EEYO EEYOYO you know the song chachachachacha...I`ll leave you with something Sting said to Us in Winnipeg back in 83 -This is true I remember-" oh look at the Queen mum,what a lovely smile(we had big picture of her royal highness at the back of the hall) "one of her tit`s must be out" YO!

[bigbadma66]

Hello, everyone,

Just a couple of comments about different postings.
I was happy to see that Co, Myke, Morris and Rabbit had most of the same views on the experience as I did. My boyfriend was saying as well that he did not like some of the modified versions and my take is that it is their damn song and they can do with it what they will. I thought as well that they place would have been sold out. I was in Commonwealth in 84 for the Tubes, Gabriel and Bowie concert and there were many more people back then, I thought for sure that the Police would have filled the stadium like those boys did back when. God, I hope that doesn't mean that the balance of us oldsters aren't friggin dead already!
I am hoping that the Police can make their way to Tokyo, Japan so that my brother, Phil can see them down the road. He is more than a little jealous that I got to see them before he did.
Hi, Georgy, greetings from Sask. This is just a stop on my world tour, I am not a native Saskatchewanite. I can see why your friend might like things better in el Mexico compared to the windy old plains.
Nice to share thoughts on the greatest group, IMHO, and our experiences in seeing them and connecting with each other through music.

Later,
Debbie

[BongoBoy]

Cool reports.

(Me thinks WorriedRabbit knows his drums !!!)

Then again this is the Copeland site !

Cheers n Welcome !

[Flatlander]

I noticed you all itching for news of the Edmonton show, but needed a day or two to savor the experience before posting. I'm also a newbie and I'm sure the powers that be have been inundated with registrations since Stewart's Vancouver posting - but HQ has given me clearance now.....

The Police have always had that something special in their music that transports me to another, wonderful place - but Saturday night I was in two beautiful places at one time.....first of all reliving the moments when I first heard each song, special times in the past that I remember because of the music.....and I was also RIGHT THERE - feeling each song....experiencing each song as I never expected I would....live. And the stadium was so alive with emotion streaming from the many generations of fans. Truly phenomenal.

My son was absolutely riveted - and definitely has a dedicated appreciation of Stewart's incredible talent and style now. I'm sure Stewart will have a large impact on my sons drumming style in the future.

As for each individual song - I could go on and on, but will spare you my ranting. I'll just say that "Bed's too big" sounded incredible.

Short of being disappointed in attendance, this show was everything I anticipated and more.

I'll be right there with the rest of you - waiting for news from Seattle.

[amaninasuitcase]

Thanks for the reviews. I'm getting pretty anxious for their show in Toronto. I've only been waiting over twenty years.