A little worse for the wear (damn you budget sunscreen) but Team Stereogum is still riding a Police high. If you watched any of the Vancouver footage — or even “Roxanne” at the Grammys — you have a pretty good idea of how tight the reunited trio is. Would Sting have it any other way? Despite Stew’s promise that they’d “break all the rules” at the ‘Roo, there was no jamming, no surprises. Just hit after hit (most of their new eponymous anthology, in fact), and we can’t complain about that. These guys could play the Brimstone & Treacle soundtrack and we’d still freak out. The band took the stage at 9 PM, Stew smashed a gong, and 80,000 people sang “Message In A Bottle.” (Sting: “Tennessee, how ya doin’! Ee-yo-oh”) “Synchronicity II” and “Walking On The Moon” followed, then “Driven To Tears,” an underrated song from the catalog as relevant today as when Mr. Sumner wrote it about Biafra nearly three decades ago. Andy shined on “Regatta De Blanc,” and “De Do Do Do De Da Da Da,” was more thrilling than expected. Anyway, you see where this was going: all the hits, and the same encore they’ve performed as of late: “King Of Pain” > “So Lonely” > “Every Breath You Take” (fairly limp, as Sting’s spent twenty years reimagining it as a cloying torch song).
They weren’t done there, though. After a quick jaunt off stage, the trio returned for one more encore, and Stewart seized the opportunity. “People of Bonnaroo!” he yelled from Sting’s mic, “Any minute now Sting is going to take off his clothes and dance among you!” After 80,000 screams, squeals, and laughs, he added, “And if he doesn’t … I will!” With that, off came Gordon’s cut-off, and the yogafied torso was on display for Outlandos rocker “Next To You.” Nice payoff. The song, we mean. No onstage fistfights, Stew got to show off with a wild octobon workout during “Roxanne,” and Andy, was as dexterous as any 65(!) year-old white reggae axeman we know. We’re still smiling.
Setlist, pics, and video after the jump…
THE POLICE SETLIST
01 “Message In A Bottle”
02 “Synchronicity II”
03 “Walking On The Moon”
04 “Driven To Tears”
05 “Voices Inside My Head”
06 “Truth Hits Everybody”
07 “Every LIttle Thing She Does Is Magic”
08 “Wrapped Around Your Finger”
09 “The Bed’s Too Big Without You”
10 “De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da”
11 “Walking In Your Footseps”
12 “Can’t Stand Losing You” > “Regatta De Blanc”
14 “Roxanne”
________
15 “King Of Pain”
16 “So Lonely”
17 “Every Breath You Take”
________
18 “Next To You”
MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE
SYNCHRONICITY II
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I cannot fucking wait until they get to Chicago …
omg my parents love the police lol
what about the other saturday acts?
> what about the other saturday acts?
Coming momentarily! Sorry, it takes way too long to crop Amrit and Jon’s amazing photos. I have incredible video of Lips & Hold Steady, but wireless isn’t cooperating. Next week for that.
Too cool!
the oakland, ca show was incredible. though we all thought sting was bleeding thru his shirt from some sort of pre-show chest waxing (ala 40 year-old virgin) it seems that the blood is on his shirt in every pic, including the ones featured here. whew!
the heavy handed visuals on ‘walking in your footsteps distracted from my favorite tune, but, ‘wrapped around your finger’ gained a more minimal, stately tone from a stand up percussion arrangement by stewart.
thanks, looking forward to it.
that sync II sounds nice.
Every self-respecting drummer should have a set of octobans. Every egotistically rabid drummer should have a gong.
I cannot wait much longer to see them. It needs to be July now.
I’m so jealous of all you peepz that get to see them. No joy for me.
I have to experience them through concert reviews. Thanks, Scott.
Sting sexually assaulted me after the show in the community showers.
Who is The Police?
sting is 55, not 65. HUGE difference. for instance, i would tap 55 year old sting. 65 year old sting? not so much.
damnit. i’m dumb. regardless, sting is nice.
Andy is 65.
Andy Summers is only 64. His 65th birthday isn’t until December 31st. Still, he looks good for 64.
it should be noted that andy summers is older than keith richards
I was there for the police at bonnaroo 07 and sting thought that everyone there was from tennessee. He called us “tennessians”(sp?). I’m from Michigan and the people next to me at the show were speaking spanish. I left right after he played roxanne to get a good spot for the flaming lips. sting is a doosh, stewart copeland is the shit.
personally, i thought they were average at best. weak new arrangements of far too many songs, and they just werent totally jelling. certainly some high points, but overall a bit disappointing – good to see at a fest but would’ve been bummed if i paid $250, or higher scalped, to see them on other dates. and having been to all but the first bonnaroo i’d say the response they got from the crowd was way underwhelming considering how packed it was. everyone i spoke to afterwards was at least somewhat disappointed.
anyone who saw this show live, could tell you it was weak. they played for only an hour and a half when they were slotted for 3 hours. so there was an hour or so of no music, a lot of wandering around centeroo, and restless flaming lips fans.
poo on you, police.
They were just here in Puerto Rico (dec. 11th) Man, are they in GREAT shape! Musically and physically. They all three looked AND performed GREAT. I just wished I had a better cam to take better pics. Yours are GREAT. And so are the vids. The Police ROCKS even after all these years.