August 02, 2007
Resurrecting an act after more than two decades sure can be tough, as evidenced at the first New York area show by The Police. While Madison Square Garden with its retro 70's look and lousy air conditioning seemed to be the ideal stage for the reunited trio, the show sadly lacked a certain verve, perhaps underscoring why the band broke up in the mid-80's. On the other hand, with a bare-bones stage devoid of the current wizardry so in vogue at large-stadium rock shows, the audience could easily focus on Sting, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland, who to their credit played a nearly two-hour set comprising a balanced selection from their five hit albums.
First up was a mellow rendition of "Message in a Bottle," a great crowd-pleaser that got the entire audience grooving, yet there followed a rather slow and uninspired rendition of "Synchronicity II." After two months on the road, some unresolved issues clearly remain, and what strikes the long-time fan most is that their beloved ska and reggae undertones have lost any subtlety. Consequently, by performing interpretations of songs such as "Walking on the Moon" in a very reggae mood, while the crowd does sing along nevertheless the low energy feel transforms a space like the Garden into a quasi old folks' home on Monserrat. Having long since memorized all the lyrics, it would be hard for the fans not to sing along. Yet without backup singers or other distractions on the oval-shaped stage, somehow the trio seems overexposed in their stripped-down middle age. The show consistently registered as rather ossified; even the occasional struts by Sting, the leg kicks by Andy, or a jump on or off the raised stage filled with Stewart's beloved percussion instruments lacked spontaneity.
Even after a month on the road, the Chicago Tribune made note of the rough transition between "Voices Inside My Head" and "When the World is Running Down," and here The Police at first appeared to take a page from Lawrence Welk, with tiny bubbles projected around the Garden. Yet the tempo finally picked up, and Sting and Andy jammed on guitar. After this first of three successive songs from the seminal album "Zenyatta Mondatta" (1980), Sting took the opportunity to remind the audience they first played New York in October 1978. Indeed the following two songs—"Don't Stand So Close to Me" and "Driven to Tears"—harkened back to the trio's roots. While the syncopation was a bit deceptive it finally became clear here how the simple staging actually works quite well; the vibe recalled the original video of "Don't Stand So Close" with the young former teacher, Sting, strutting around in his English Beat t-shirt. Nearly 30 years have elapsed since they first played "Truth Hits Everybody" here in New York, and the stripped-down sound at this juncture nicely evoked that earlier era of their careers. In contrast, the delivery of "The Bed's Too Big Without You" seemed so ska that hundreds in the audience at once seized the moment to bolt for another drink or the restrooms. After the mid-point of the show, it was clear the rotation of songs actually had some sort of logic, alternately stirring the lethargic and bringing the flagging audience back to its feet. Copeland then resuscitated the rather lifeless crowd—which very notably was comprised of middle-aged fans reliving their teenage years—with his xylophone and other percussive toys during "Wrapped Around Your Finger." The video for this hit off the "Synchronicity" album displayed much technical dexterity at the time, and even today nicely interlaces the slowed-down rhythms that made it such a hit.
"De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" was up next at a relatively fast pace, followed by a fine rendition of "Invisible Sun" from "Ghost in the Machine". Yet the paleontological interpretation of "Walking in Your Footsteps" was truly weird, with a silly video featuring dinosaur skeletons superimposed over the live band. Metaphor, perhaps? On the other hand, it was a nice throwback to those mid-1980s cheesy jumbo video displays at concerts, a trope perfected by bands ranging from Yes to Duran Duran. "I Can't Stand Losing You" underscored just how tough it can be for aging rock-n-rollers to sound inspired 30 years later, and there followed a stirring but predictable version of "Roxanne" with the ubiquitous red light flooding the Garden. The remaining highlights included a percussive "King of Pain" with strong drumming and Andy Summers' terrific guitar solo in "So Lonely." By "Every Breath You Take," however, the commuters were already bolting to Penn Station downstairs, missing that gem "Next to You" from "Outlandos d'Amour". Given that The Police went through different musical incarnations with each successive album plus endless bitter squabbles off stage, perhaps the most remarkable thing is that this show actually happened.
Tags:
madison square garden, sting, the police
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Posted on 8/2/2007
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