Bonnaroo - setlist / reports etc

[howardhughes]

seems to me they getting faster and heavier. hooray !

The famous trademark huge snare backbeat is back!!
message in a bottle sounds just fantastic for it..and you can tell the crowd appreciate it.

havent seen much more of bonnaroo as yet but i was real impressed with what i did see.

i just dont think subtle and understated is right for stadiums and festivals.


but hey...they gonna play how they wanna play...i certainly would.


As for hits...thats what they are going to play....cos thats what most people want....the hits tend to be my least favourite tracks but whatareyagonnado?

[sockii]

>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.

Exactly. It's just a fact of life. As much as we have fun in our little fannish world here, the truth is it IS just a small world. Those of us here only make up a small part of the general audience out there, and they have to play for that crowd first.

(I'd still, though, say that I would be very happy if they did what Pink Floyd and other big name bands have done with 1 or 2 "changeable" slots per night. That is, if they played a standard set but rotated in one more unusual or rare song each night.)

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

Yep, and thank you, Gio, for expressing things so well. I totally agree with you on everything you said in your post.

[New Zealand Promoter]

The one flaw in the Police's last few tours, the one single flaw, was that they stuck to one bloody setlist 99% of the time. Now, in the digital age, they must know that most of the shows this year will be heard by fans around the world. It would be demonstrative of insight into this technological wonderland of the new millennium for them to throw a curve ball in there occasionally. They're into their toys enough to use tacky backing samples and autotuned backing vocals. They would do well to recognise that one show = instant unauthorised live album in this day and age.

It's going to be far more exciting for fans the world round if even two song spots are used for different material throughout the tour. It's not a big ask and would give the band further credibility, ie, would offer evidence that they are not determined to stick to one set of songs for 12 months like old women.

Copeland agrees:

"Copeland is trying to help Sting and Summers understand that the hardcore Police fans will be coming to more than one show on the reunion tour, and, as such, will be expecting the set list to change regularly.

"We've got a fairly rehearsed set," he said. "[But] those people who bought most of the tickets for most of the shows are not normal people. They're like the people who bought all the Oysterhead tickets because of Trey [Anastasio]. Those type of people, I think, buy more than one show. I'm trying to get that through to my buddies so that we change it up a little bit." "

http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/art ... 1003588858

I'm not silly. I don't expect them to throw songs in there they have never played before. 'Canary' will never happen. It's a shame, and it's sadly to the band's discredit that they have always been so firmly attachd to one pool of songs, nothing more, nothing less. However, there is a large pool of known 'live' material to draw from, and they are embarking on what is most likely a final world tour. In any case it's a special thing - more than enough reason to *draw from the pool and play some other songs here and there*. For up to $250 a pop, I'd expect the band were willing to rehearse a few extra songs rather than sticking with the same 20 for the next year. They're getting paid, right?

[BongoBoy]

All I can add is that I just watched "Message" from this gig and it rocked. I thought it was one of the best grovves in a while. I thought Stewarts groove was awesome, really pushing in a good way !!!

I don't see or hear anything negative. They are ALIVE Baby !!!

Cheers.

[Philip]

Thanks Wait and See, Driven to Tears at Last show is awesome.
They are getting better and better.

[vikhud]

[quote="tj7"]1. Excellent performance of 'message'. Those drums.... wow. Never fails to amaze me that Summers constantly fucks up that riff, though. Weird. I can play the bloody thing! Dominic Miller can! Ha! Very curious.

2. I hate the stupid freaking half time shit in Synch II. That's a Sting Solo thing. Kills it. You reading this, Stew? It KILLS THE MOMENTUM! Bassline is becoming noodly, too, Stingo. Find a pick. Too busy in 'Synch II'.*

3. Once and for all - LOSE THE BACKING SAMPLES.

4. Did I mention that Stew's drumming kicks ass? Jesus, he sounds great. What has he been doing that Andy and Sting haven't, I wonder?

Note - these opinions represent one person only, and he is a nerd. Sorry!

*ah, the arrogance of telling Stingo how to play! Well, at least I am actually a bass player.... but yeah, pretty presumptuous I know.[/quote]

Yes. I'm puzzled as to why he constantly makes a hash of "message".
I don't think I've heard one performance on this tour yet where he hasn't fluffed it. I can't remember where I read it but it was an interview with them during rehearsals for this tour and they were doing message. Apparently Sting shouted over to him "use a pick" and Andy said something like "funny that I was using my fingers this morning and he didn't complain". Maybe it's become a bit of an issue with him. Or maybe the hands aren't quite as nimble as they used to be. Not sure if that's the case though as his soloing is as good if not better than it used to be.

[policerule]

right vik... andy's solo playing has GREATLY improved from what i can see!

[nathanarizona]

Vik-Anyone please correct me if I'm wrong here-I think it's the reverse of what you're saying about the pick actually. I think Andy was playing it with a pick and Sting wanted it without. Not that it matters to me.

[Divemistress of the Dark]

I'm disappointed that there will apparently be no "Canary", "Bombs," or "Stare." And that there will be no jamming or other extraneous activities. I heard yesterday that Fiction Plane didn't show up for their gig at Bonnaroo, so apparently this goes for them too....

That said, I'd go see Stewart on tour anytime, anywhere, and he was fantastic. I don't have any gigs to compare this to, since it's the first I've seen and it's a bit different at a gigantic outdoor festival...but I'm sure I'll enjoy the next three shows I've got tix to see...and maybe one or two more this year as well.

[vikhud]

[quote="nathanarizona"]Vik-Anyone please correct me if I'm wrong here-I think it's the reverse of what you're saying about the pick actually. I think Andy was playing it with a pick and Sting wanted it without. Not that it matters to me.[/quote]

Nathan. Yes I think you're right I may have got it the wrong way round. Either way it was opposite to the way Andy was playing it.

[jeffdaweasel]

[quote="Divemistress of the Dark"]I heard yesterday that Fiction Plane didn't show up for their gig at Bonnaroo, so apparently this goes for them too....[/quote]

Bonaroo was not a regular tour stop... it's a festival, so you don't get to take an opening band to a festival (since there are already 20 other bands playing before you if you're headlining). That's why there was no Fiction Plane there.

[Divemistress of the Dark]

There are several stages at Bonnaroo. The main stage is What, which is where the Police played, but there's also "Which Stage," "That Stage," and "The Other Stage," as well as a few smaller lounge-type stages.

Fiction Plane was slotted for one of them and the time and location was printed in the official festival schedule. I think it was That Stage from 7:30 to 8:30 before The Police played - I'll dig out my program later and confirm - but they simply didn't show up. There was nothing on that stage for that time period.

[jeffdaweasel]

[quote="Divemistress of the Dark"]Fiction Plane was slotted for one of them and the time and location was printed in the official festival schedule.[/quote]

Ah! See, I did not know that. Hmmm.

I saw Fiction Plane in Seattle. Uh... they weren't BAD, per se. Joe's voice is good, as genetics would predict. Their playing is good. The songs? Well, let's put it this way: my girlfriend said at some point, "Didn't they already do this one twice?"

I responded, "No, but they might as well have."

[nathanarizona]

I think I read somewhere they had some airline issues with major thunderstorms in Houston.

[Three over Four]

[quote]I saw Fiction Plane in Seattle. Uh... they weren't BAD, per se. Joe's voice is good, as genetics would predict. Their playing is good. The songs? Well, let's put it this way: my girlfriend said at some point, "Didn't they already do this one twice?"[/quote]

I totally agree....I really wanted to like them, but their music was just too one dimensional. Solid musicianship, just very weak songs especially for a kid who sprung from Stingo's loins.