May 27, 2007: Police Fan Club Show

Vancouver, BC
GM Place

The first review I posted about this show was the one I sent to my Journey buddies and other friends. It wasn't until I returned home from Vancouver that I shared my full thoughts with the folks on the Police fan club message boards. Managed to dig it up too.

So we're now a good 3 days since the show and I think I can finally add my perspective. Like many here, I just missed being able to see the Police back in their hey day -- I was 15 when the last tour ended, not quite old enough to be allowed to go to shows. I've seen Sting three or four times at least -- pretty much whenever he's come through the Bay Area. Like many, I figured the odds of ever seeing the Police live and in person were beyond zero and that was just one of those things that happen in life. So the news of the reunion and tour came as a huge surprise and thrill.

For me, the trek to Vancouver was just one of those once-in-a-lifetime kind of events that I just couldn't miss, but if the tickets had cost $225 instead of $50, I probably would have stayed home and thought "darn, that would have been cool." But things all work in the way they need to I suppose, and I got to take in a rare show.

Now, as I mentioned to a few people at Ceili's Sunday night I'm not "that way" about the Police. I've always enjoyed their music but don't have that deep emotional connection. I totally get that feeling, it's just a different group for me. Thus one of the things I really enjoyed Sunday night was watching all the other fans with various looks of excitement, shock, anticipation, awe, and all around joy as show time approached. Their excitement increased my own.

When I got to the arena and found my seat, I was just thrilled though with the location. Fourth row, Sting's side of center stage. My concern about having to see over the too-tall Muse and her husband was abated when we discovered they had seats 23 and 24 to my seat 22. Even better, there was NO ONE in seat 22 in front of me. Holy cow a totally clear view of the stage ALL NIGHT. I'm 5' 2" -- I never get a clear view! Woo hoo! Okay, so my excitement built rapidly from there. Especially since cameras were rampantly available and usable -- I pulled mine out of my purse before the show started and shot off about 250 pictures by the time the show ended.

Unfortunately, I was totally unprepared for the guys coming out on stage BEFORE the show started to say "hi." Ah well, can't anticipate everything. The show started and wow... I was just amazed. Many comments have been made already about the different arrangements, but to my ear most songs sounded more or less as I expected them too -- or at least nothing was changed so much that I couldn't identify it within a few notes (something I will admit I was worried about so spent time cramming with Message in a Box.)

My best description of the show was it was very loose and the pace more moderated than I expected -- kind of like they were feeling out the reaction. The thing that truly amazed me though, was just what astounding musicians these guys are. As I said, I've always liked their music, but I've never really paid deep serious attention to it. Don't get me wrong, I knew these guys had the chops, but seeing them live and in person put a WHOLE different perspective on their talents for me. I was beyond impressed.

The set list covered pretty much everything I expected and/or hoped it would, and I couldn't help remembering being 12 and hearing "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" for the first time when that popped up. Between shooting off the camera I danced and sung along and had a great ole time. The show was over much too fast, but two days driving home gave me plenty of time to reflect on the evening. I'm so glad I went and what a way to get to see the Police for the first time.

I've spent the better part of today putting the pictures I took together. I've got to say, I really impressed myself this time and got a lot of really good shots. (Usually, I figure I'm lucky if 25% of the shots are quality -- this time only about 25% were total crap!) There's always the microphones, cymbals, heads, and arms that get in the way, but I think I got a pretty good collection this time.

May 27, 2007: Special Police Edition: Fan Club Members Only!

Vancouver, BC
GM Place

Well I'm back from the show tonight. Totally sucked. I mean really, I had to sit in the FOURTH row... what's up with that?? Aren't I supposed to be in the FIRST row?? I mean I have standards!

I can not believe the show I just saw. I can not believe the seat I had. I can not WAIT for Oakland (though it's gonna be hard being so far away from the stage after tonight. Maybe I'll win the front row seats from the fan club...)


Where to begin.... Got in early this afternoon, cleaned up and went and picked up my ticket at will call before heading over to meet up with the group of Police fans that had organized a little get together at a near by restaurant. It was fun watching all these seriously die-hard Police fans just being giddy with looks on their faces between "when does the show start" and "I can't believe this is happening!" Headed over to the venue about 6, doors opened at 6:30 and I got in pretty quickly. Everyone's concerns about cameras being confiscated was totally moot -- no one even did a search and when I walked in the door one of the vendors was taking a picture of a couple of fans. Picked up some swag and headed to my seat. About died from shock when I saw how close I was to the stage. Totally unreal. Even better, the seat in front of me was vacant as was one of the seats next to me, so lots of room to move and a great view of the stage! The arena was set up for most of the floor (I'd say about 25-30 rows) and about the first three sections of the lower bowl, and that was it. Maybe 4,000 people in an arena that probably holds 4 times that many. 

Sat and people watched for a while and it was great watching all these fans coming up to the stage and taking their picture with the mics and drum kit in the background. Saw my favorite t-shirt of the night that said "Pinch me I must be dreaming." Chatted some with the folks sitting around me, saw one woman in tears. This was a seriously big deal, and I totally got that and started getting goosebumps myself.
 

Show time was 7:30, which came and went with no show -- big surprise. About 7:40 with no warning Sting, Stewart, and Andy all walked out on stage and welcomed everyone to "the final dress rehearsal." About 5 minutes later this giant gong rises from behind the drum kit and the band takes the stage and kicked off with "Message in a Bottle." You know the saying "And the crowd goes wild"??? Well, let me tell you I've never heard such a roar and I swear every voice must have been singing the chorus at the top of their lungs -- if I didn't know better I would have said there were 16,000 people in the place! Kicked in to "Synchronicity II" next and the show rolled on from there. I don't have the set list since I was busily taking pictures* (and a little video sssshhhhh) but a couple of the people I was sitting with did so I'm sure it will be posted somewhere soon. They played everything you would expect them to and a couple of slightly more obscure songs, but nothing I had a problem recognizing after a few notes (or lines). Of course, it may have helped that I was listening to Message in a Box the last couple of weeks to remind myself of a few tunes, but really most of the stuff they played is stuff that's been on the radio since forever and I still hear on the radio today.

They changed a couple of songs around, mostly slowing the tempo on a couple of the faster ones ("Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" comes to mind off the top of my head) and a couple of tunes were a little "Stingified," but all in all the songs sounded like I expected them to and satisfied that little nagging thought I always get when I've seen Sting perform some of these tunes solo -- "That was great, but wish I could have heard the Police version."

Yeah, my seat didn't suck.

The show was a little loosey goosey with a fairly moderated pace and I suspect things will be a bit tighter for tomorrow's official opener and the rest of the tour, but the cool thing was that they all really looked like they were having fun. Stewart is definitely a drummer -- at one point he tossed one of his sticks and it nearly hit Andy and then later in the set he stood up and raced around the stage for no other reason than "I have to sit behind the kit all the time." Total goofball. He made a few other random comments through out the night, but I had a hard time hearing him (that darned fourth row!) Amazing drummer though -- wow. I was seriously impressed. Actually I was seriously impressed with the overall musicianship. I mean, it was just these three guys on stage -- no extra musicians, no back up singers -- and it was a HUGE sound. It was really spectacular. I knew these guys were good, but not THIS good.

I'm sure there are die hard fans who are going to nit pick on little things here and there, but for this casual observer you'd never know it's been 23 years since they last toured.

Can't really report much about the staging since, being in the fourth row (did I mention that?) the only "effects" I got to see was the lighting. Real simple stage though. There was no drape behind the stage so I don't know if that means there isn't going to be one at all and thus there is seating behind the stage for arena shows. The show in Oakland in a couple of weeks is going to be a totally different beast -- a huge stadium set up, so I'll be interested to compare the look and sound.

All in all I am so glad I decided to ditch my "no traveling this year" policy for this show. It was definitely an opportunity I couldn't miss. I'm sorely tempted to delay my return tomorrow and try to score a ticket to the opener, but this treat is already more than I should have given myself so I'll hit the road back home tomorrow morning and be thrilled with having had such a cool opportunity.

I think I'm gonna like this year of concerts of acts I've never seen before!

Set List:

Intro
Message in a Bottle
Synchronicity II
Don't Stand So Close to Me
Voices Inside My Head/When the World Is Running Down
Spirits in the Material World
Driven to Tears
Walking on the Moon
Truth Hits Everybody
Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
Wrapped Around Your Finger
The Bed's Too Big Without You
Murder By Numbers
De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da
Invisible Sun
Walking in Your Footsteps
Can't Stand Losing You
Roxanne

Encore 1:
King of Pain
So Lonely
Every Breath You Take

Encore 2:
Next to You

*As you can see from the few pictures included here, I had a GREAT view and got a TON of fantastic photos. Most of the time when I take concert shots 1 out of 4 are decent. This time 3 of 4 were beyond decent. Will post some in a separate entry. Contrary to accusations I got on the Police message boards, I was not concentrating solely on Sting (I actually had more pictures of Andy and Stewart) but I was seated right in front of Sting so the pictures of him came out the best. Andy was furthest away and had to be shot through heads, so didn't turn out as well.