The Police Roll-Call

[vansmack]

DON'T STAND SO CLOSE TO ME:  Wake me up when it's over.  It was a hybrid version of the '86 remix and the original and none of it worked.  This is where I began to develop the "Stingified Theory."  I love this song, but it was completely butchered.  I've heard cover bands do it better.  I sat down for the majority of the rest of the show starting at this point.  Stewart's drums are still lost as well.  Can't tell at this point if he's lost it or if the sounds guys have lost him.

[vansmack]

You know what - I can't do this anymore.  It's too depressing.  I nearly cried last night.
 
 Bottom line - none of the songs sounded like their single counterparts except Can't Stand Losing You and Next to You.  All of the others were stripped of their greatness and sounded like Sting solo shows, only this time he had the best damn backing band in the history of solo career and he didn't use them.  No snese of urgency, not sense of having fun up there.
 
 Andy had some nice solos at times, but each guy was just in his own little world.
 
 I will however share my disappointment in one song in particular, Every Little Thing She Does....

[Vas Deferens]

Review from the Oakland Tribune:
 
 
 Sting stunk - and so did the rest of the Police
 
 I'm sorry vansmack. How much did you pay?!

[vansmack]

EVERY LITTLE THING SHE DOES IS MAGIC: OK.  I can sing this song with out the single playing behind me, and I have done so to Smackette on many occassions.  I'm sure I'm not alone here.  I have even started a few screenplays based on this song alone.  Few songs are that powerful, Wreckless Eric's Whole Wide World comes to mind, but few others.
 
 So as this song starts, Sting is confused as to which verse he is supposed to start with.  He's done this before, but I don't get how you don't know the words to your own song.  Watch the live in Italy DVD he filmed on 9/11 (not knowing that is was going to be such a day).  He played stripped down versions of all of his songs.  At one point the band is reworking a song and they ask Sting to sing bar so they can test it out.  Sting confesses he can't sing without playing the bass along with the song, so they start from the top.  I found that a bit odd, but so be it.
 
 So a few days later he's doing acousitc songs for a charity gig and he sings a lovely acousitc version of "Every Little Thing..." (I'm happy to share it) only he switches the first and second verse.  Again, I thought that was odd, and at times I think the song is better with the switched verse, but whatever.
 
 So last night, he starts singing the second verse, realizes it and stops.  The band keeps playing.  It gets to the chorus, comes back around, and he starts the second verse again.  It was an absolute disaster.  At that point, I should have just left, but I kept waiting for it to get better - it never did.  Everytime there was a glimpse of hope, they did some long drawn out Sting crap that ruined everything.  
 
 As you can tell, I'm not taking this well.

[vansmack]

Originally posted by wanderlust aka j. marshmallow:
   How much did you pay?!

$90.  But to me it's less about the money and more about the 20 plus years I waited for this only to be so let down.  But yeah, I'd like my money back!

[TheDirector217]

Originally posted by vansmack:
   

Originally posted by wanderlust aka j. marshmallow:
   How much did you pay?!

$90.  But to me it's less about the money and more about the 20 plus years I waited for this only to be so let down.  But yeah, I'd like my money back! [/b]

I dropped $250 on Hershey AND MSG, not to mention Bonnaroo.  This doesn't please me one bit.  The Vancouver debacle wasn't too alarming, but this is most def a blower.  I was planning a nice chunk of my summer around the Police tour.  Cot dammit . . . .

[Venerable Bede]

let me just emphasize, the sound was atrocious.  was watching on youtube the performance of roxanne from "urgh!" and none of copeland's drumming made it to our seats.  now, that could be because of the sound, or it could be that copeland just didn't play it like before.  i don't know. . .all that we could hear for nearly all of the show was a muddled snare and every so often some ride. . .not much high-hat or bass drum and definately no toms.  also, i am convinced that an entire bank of speakers set up on the infield simply were not working.
 
 that being said. . .sound cannot explain away the complete disregard for tempo and beat that was shown throughout most of the show.  on a few songs, you could feel the momentum coming, and then. . . . . . . . . ..back down a beat.  
 
 and i think i've had all i can take of "aaaa-oooooos," "eeee-oooooos" and "yay-ooooos."

[Bags]

Originally posted by vansmack:
  Nope.  I've had more time to think about it.  And it was still terrible.  I think I'll try a song by song break down for you all....

I am devastated.  And you don't want to know what i've paid for the two shows I'm going to see....

[vansmack]

From further conversations I've had with other concert goers and posts on blogs/message boards, if you like Sting's solo material and performances, you'll probably like this show.
 
 If you want to see a Police show however, you may be disappointed.

[vansmack]

Originally posted by Venerable Bede:
  and i think i've had all i can take of "aaaa-oooooos," "eeee-oooooos" and "yay-ooooos."

Oh man, I forgot about that.  Awful.

[Bags]

Originally posted by vansmack:
  From further conversations I've had with other concert goers and posts on blogs/message boards, if you like Sting's solo material and performances, you'll probably like this show.
 

I'm all (and only) about The Police.  Shit.

[Charlie Nakatestes, Japanese Golfer]

Well you can still see Drive By Truckers, Neko Case, and Old 97's for a fraction of the cost. And those shows are all sure winners.
 
 

Originally posted by TheDirector217:
   

Originally posted by vansmack:
     

Originally posted by wanderlust aka j. marshmallow:
   How much did you pay?!

$90.  But to me it's less about the money and more about the 20 plus years I waited for this only to be so let down.  But yeah, I'd like my money back! [/b]

I dropped $250 on Hershey AND MSG, not to mention Bonnaroo.  This doesn't please me one bit.  The Vancouver debacle wasn't too alarming, but this is most def a blower.  I was planning a nice chunk of my summer around the Police tour.  Cot dammit . . . . [/b]

[Vas Deferens]

"Start selling..."
 
 That's what my momma would say.
 
 

Originally posted by TheDirector217:
 I dropped $250 on Hershey AND MSG, not to mention Bonnaroo.  This doesn't please me one bit.  The Vancouver debacle wasn't too alarming, but this is most def a blower.  I was planning a nice chunk of my summer around the Police tour.  Cot dammit . . . . [/QB]

[StoneTheCrow]

Hasn't Copeland been bad-mouting the reunion all along? I guess he wasn't just blowing smoke.

[vansmack]

Originally posted by StoneTheCrow:
  Hasn't Copeland been bad-mouting the reunion all along? I guess he wasn't just blowing smoke.

I believe his words were "Unbelievably Lame" after the first two shows and now I wish I would have listened to him.