Bonnaroo - setlist / reports etc

[New Zealand Promoter]

http://blogs.usatoday.com/listenup/2007 ... tml?csp=34

Message in a Bottle
Synchronicity II
Walking on the Moon
Driven to Tears
Voices Inside My Head/When the World Is Running Down, You Make the Best of What's Still Around
Truth Hits Everybody
Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
Wrapped Around Your Finger
The Bed’s Too Big Without You
De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da
Walking in Your Footsteps
Can’t Stand Losing You
Roxanne
King of Pain
So Lonely
Every Breath You Take
Next to You

Yawn. so much for copeland's talk about them jamming out "5 songs for half an hour each".

Clearly the band were always going to do the same set they started out with - and will probably maintain for the next year just like they did on their last three world tours.

Maybe they jammed 'Bed's too Big' for more than 4 bars in the middle, we can hope.... but why Stewart waxed so lyrical about this amazing 'jam session' the band were going to perform in the face of an evidently closed book called "STANDARD POLICE SET LIST 2007", is beyond me.

.... and I'm not a 'hater' or a 'basher'. I'm just starting to realise that these are expensive shows with big ticket price tags, and this behemoth called The Police appears to be taking a predictable, safe route.

Copeland and Summers used to temper the adult contemporary, soft-jazz rock predisposition of Sting. It now appears that Sting's AC, MOR approach has become a stronger influence. Calypso chorus to ELTSDIM, anyone? Sampled, auto tuned backing vocals, anyone? ....

I love 'em, don't get me wrong... but now that Copeland's hyping up of Bonaroo *appears* (ie i'm not stating it as a fact yet!) to have been... well.... complete BS.... I'm getting tired of blind adoration. Let's call a spade a spade....

Anyway. Just my soap box ranting opinion. I'll shut the hell up now.

PS if it turns out that the boys did some serious jamming and rocked the boat a bit, then yay!

[Philip]

thanks for being true, even if...

...truth hits everybody, truth hits everybody...

[New Zealand Promoter]

or, more accurately:

[clears throat and sings in rumblesome barritone at 65 bpm]

'trruuthh hiittss eeveryybooddyyy, trrruutthhh hiittsss everyyoonneeee....'

[giovanni]

Well, as you said, the main public wants the hits; WE are a minority; don't get me wrong, but if the Police would come out and play stuff like 'No Time This Time', 'I Burn For You', 'Canary In A Coalmine', 'Bombs Aways', 'It's All Right For You' to take out tracks like Dedododo, Spririts, I mean 'The Singles', I'm sure that many journalists wouldn't get it as well a great part of the public.

There is no new album, they are not promoting something new; it's a sort of Greatest Hits tour (what else should it be?), and they are doing it on a very good way in my opinion, due to the new arrangements, like them or not. They are not a carbon copy of what they were 23 year ago (they are not the same persons of 23 years ago), but it's absolutely positive to see they have taken the songs and worked on them again.
Yes, I would like to listen to BEDS TOO BIG WITHOUT YOU as it was played years ago, but who cares, this is THE POLICE 2007 and this is the way they like to play it now. WALKING ON THE MOON is fantastic with the new bass line, but I don't get the Calypso rhythmic on the refrain of EVERY LITTLE, but it's something new, and I'm glad they worked on it.

What I want to say is THE BAND IS ALIVE, you know what I mean?

I listened to the Oakland show and they are absolutely better than the first shows; not that they weren't good a couple of weeks ago, but I'm starting NOW listening to that vibe and that energy that I am expecting from the three of them. I'm sure they will reach the top shape when they will tour Europe, and I won't be surprised if more songs will be included such as Tea In The Sahara or I Burn For You.

[Wait and See]

Well, that's four less songs than they played for the opener, but I suspect it was due to time constraints as part of a festival bill, not excessive jamming.

As for what Stewart said about the show, he never promised it would be different--he said he was tying to persuade the other two to wing it. Probably didn't get too far.

[Philip]

Gio, regarding your post:

You say:
“Well, as you said, the main public wants the hits; WE are a minority; don't get me wrong, but if the Police would come out and play stuff like 'No Time This Time', 'I Burn For You', 'Canary In A Coalmine', 'Bombs Aways', 'It's All Right For You' to take out tracks like Dedododo, Spririts, I mean 'The Singles', I'm sure that many journalists wouldn't get it as well a great part of the public. “

WHAT CAN THEY LOSE BY DOING THIS ? THEY WOULD PLAY STANDARD CONCERT PLACES INSTEAD OF STADIUMS ? It would have been more innovative

You say:
“(…) but it's absolutely positive to see they have taken the songs and worked on them again.”

WHAT HAS STING DONE DURING 23 YEARSD? The exact same. Hearing Kirkland, Hakim, Miller, Katché, etc. etc. was not completely uninteresting.

regards

[New Zealand Promoter]

You said it, Gio - THE BAND IS ALIVE.
I always feel like a heel when i make criticisms, in the face of this singular fact. I just want the boys to cook as well as I know they can!
Anyway. Looking forward to some progression. I believe things will evolve over the next year, all said and done.

...and hey, at least they didn't use the same stage designer as Genesis.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=vcu6GcCjETA

[Midori]

Hello tj7

>Anyway. Just my soap box ranting opinion
No no, I don't think so. Thank you for your early report!

>I just want the boys to cook as well as I know they can!
Probably it seems that will depends on our Stewart….

He said like this in an interview with a Japanese mag right after
the Grammy ;
Stingo is a composer.
Andy is an orchestra.
Stewart is a conductor, that is, Stew is stepping on the accelerator on the stage!
And these three concentrate their energies on the Stingo's singing….

About set list;
Well if there are 40,000 people at a concert hall, there could be 40,000 versions of the lists.
For example, I'd like to have "synchronicity　I"　as the first song of a gig.
But some people might say, "Syn Ⅰ?? Message in a Bottle rules!!"

[DirtyMartini]

[quote="tj7"]Yawn. so much for copeland's talk about them jamming out "5 songs for half an hour each".[/quote]

I must have missed that memo. I may have been gone a few days, but I'm pretty sure even Stewart's wouldn't push the hyperbole that far without being pretty obvious about the bullshit factor.

Setlist-wise, as I've said before (forgive me, Stewart): Sting can be an old lady when it comes to routine. But I'd wait to hear reports on the MUSIC before getting all twisted up. You can't hear a setlist.

[And considering they played fewer songs but still ran about 2 hours, it sounds like there were some extended song versions going on somewhere. Can't wait to hear about it.]

Right on to Gio.
(And I really like the calypso take on Magic. And thus far that I've seen, so have audiences.)

[English-lion]

tj7

Yawn? you are yawning at the police? hum you've got my back up here.

I don't believe that they are going to have the standard set list all the way though the tour they have already changed it. and I'm sure if your favorite Police song wasn't played you'll be pissed. they are kind of cornered that way.

As for them not jamming I just hope they did!!!!!!

I'm off the soap box. Next!!

[phaty]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFRJ4NsLPK8

An awfully boring Syncronicity II that is ...

As you can tell I am about to go totally ballistic on the "fans" all over the place. By now I think this forum should have been closed for new members right after the reunion was announced - would include (or exclude me as well!)

I will not allow a bunch of bootleg collecters and police-nerds to spoil my fun. Therefore I am outta here ... I will keep on living in denial and walk on clouds until I can finally see them in about three month.

Enjoy your ride

phaty

[Philip]

Phaty, ich verstehe überhaupt nicht was du geschrieben hast. Findest do Sinc 2 (dein Link) gut oder nicht? Die Qualität ist ziemlich schlecht, aber was gefällt dir/ oder nicht in dieser Video? Andys Guitar solo? Danke.

[georgygirl]

tj7, I think you made an honest critic about what you feel about the reunion's shows or our lovely trio.

In my opinion this is fair.

[Divemistress of the Dark]

And now! Drum roll, please...an update from someone who was actually there.

They were terrific! Andy's guitar work really stood out last night. The only downsides really had to do with the festival itself...lots of blowing dirt and standing amongst 80,000 people made seeing the band a little difficult, but the songs themselves were great. (Worst part of the festival logistics: it was kind of hard to see the actual band, and the Jumbotron operator showed lots of shots of Sting and very many fewer of Stewart and Andy. We still got some, though, esp. during 'Walking in Your Footsteps'.)

Stewart actually did talk about the five songs for a half hour, DM. Sounds to me like he got outvoted. But, what are you gonna do...there are three guys in the band and it is looking increasingly like Sting is calling the shots. Apparently the guys choppered in and then left immediately after the set, so no guest appearances by Stewart at anything either.

I really liked the new arrangements for the most part. Sure, some of them are slower, but I thought they were terrific. I liked "So Lonely" in particular quite a bit. I didn't think "Beds too Big" was the snoozer some people claim, either.

I guess I see where you guys are coming from - pat setlist, no new music, etc. - but it is what it is, and as Gio says this was probably never intended to be a tour to satisfy the minority. For what it's worth though, I thought the performance was just fabulous. I've got tix for Dallas and St. Louis, and I'll be there in the first few rows having a great time.

In any event, Gina and CP and I are having a great time. No sign of Jedsoon or Duke, but I'm sure they're here somewhere doing their thing. We tried to get on the forum yesterday but the computers at the festival don't have Flash and we couldn't enter the forum.

CP does have one really great story that DM will enjoy, but I'll leave it for him to tell.

I was a little disappointed that Stewart didn't get to talk more. He only said a couple of things, but one of them was a doozy: "Sting is going to take off his clothes and dance among you! If he doesn't, I WILL!" (Gina and CP and I nearly screamed ourselves hoarse at that one, needless to say...)

All righty! Off to see Wilco and the White Stripes...More later....

[DirtyMartini]

I'll have to search out that article. I'm way behind on my foruming. (Forumming? How many M's?)

Thanks for the update, Dive. Glad you had a good time!


[quote="Divemistress of the Dark"]CP does have one really great story that DM will enjoy, but I'll leave it for him to tell. .[/quote]

Oh, good gods -- what?