Oh yes… I have been remiss, my fans.
I saw the Police at Hershey Park’s Giant Stadium (in PA, yes, by the chocolate factory) on July 20. And let me tell you, it was one of the best concerts I’ve ever seen. Performance, energy, setlist… well, here. Listen for yourself.
The show kicked off with FictionPlane, who Mark & I heard across the park and came running towards. Why? Because they sounded a lot like the Police. We were sitting there saying to each other, “Is this a new song?” You have to wonder how egotistical Sting is, really. The Police must think they’re the greatest band on Earth. We come through the gates to see this young guy with shaggy hair onstage– he’s the lead singer and bassist. He’s backed by a drummer and a guitarist. They have a vague rock.reggae vibe. The audience was just imagining the conversations that took place when the Police chose their touring support: “I like that band. They sound like a young… us.” Hilarious stuff.
I don’t mean to bash the band, though. They did a nice job, sounded clean, and were obviously thrilled to be supporting one of the most famous bands of the past 30 years. But the Police quickly wiped away any memories of the opening act with ‘Message in a Bottle’– and then, as Mark says, rewarded us for being on-time by performing ‘Synchronicity II.’ You don’t think you know that song? You do. You probably just call it ‘Many Miles Away.’
I’ll post the setlist at the end, but there’s more to the show than just the setlist. Yes, they played all the songs I was crossing my fingers for. All of them! But more excitingly, they sounded so fresh. When I’ve seen the Who, Robert Plant, and other great rockers of the ages, they laid down the rock. Especially the Who. But they always sounded a little dated. There was the feeling that we were seeing great artists who were past their prime, but still knew how to rock. The Police were the opposite. As the concert got into full swing, the sound they produced– plus the minimal, modern, well-planned lighting and screen work– felt entirely clean and new. I could have been seeing a band that was touring in support of its second album.
Stewart Copeland was definitely the highlight of the show. I’m just going to put it out there. For songs including ‘Invisible Sun’ and ‘Wrapped Around Your Finger’ the man was a true percussionist. Not only did he have the standard drum kit, he had some contraption of miniature gongs, cymbals suspended from cords, xylophones, and other percussive instruments he used to make those melodies. Think about the work in those songs. He pulled it off live, scampering back to his drum kit to make the chorus of ‘Wrapped Around Your Finger.’ Phenomenal.
I don’t mean to neglect Andy, but he just didn’t look like he was having as much fun as some of the other guys. He was taking it pretty seriously. Then again, he sounded fantastic and very on-point, so who can complain?
I’m not going to lie. Sting stepped up his game. For a guy famous for his egotism, he played well with others and actually looked like he was having a tremendous amount of fun up there. I hope he’s realized that the Police have a kind of magic few other three-piece bands attain (after all, let’s not leave Rush out of this). Instrumentally talented, cohesive, economical rock. Not a lot of extra bells and whistles, just layer upon layer of straight talent with an incredible vocal track.
And for playing in rural Pennsylvania– they really wailed. You’d have thought you were at Madison. Thanks guys!
Setlist:
Message in a Bottle
Synchronicity II
Walking on the Moon
Voices Inside My Head/When the World Is Running Down
Don’t Stand So Close To Me
Driven To Tears
Truth Hits Everybody
Bed’s Too Big Without You
Every Little Thing She Does is Magic
Wrapped Around Your Finger
De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da
Invisible Sun
Walking in Your Footsteps
Can’t Stand Losing You
Roxanne
Encores:
King Of Pain
So Lonely
Every Breath You Take
Next To You
P.S. I think the bootleggers were across the aisle from us… and you can maybe hear my man-holler at the beginning of ‘Don’t Stand.’ Woo! YEAH!
