The Police Concert

Tuesday, June 26, 2007, I finally got to see The Police in concert at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. It was the summer of 1983 when I became an adoring fan at the height of their popularity just as the Synchronicity album (remember those vinyl discs?) was topping the charts. When they announced they were taking a sabbatical in 1984, I waited...and waited....and waited for another album, another tour. It finally happened...in 2007. Guess they needed to top up their retirement funds.

The concert was great. I would like to say it was phenomenal, but there was something missing. The three of them played with little interaction...barely tolerating one another. I wonder if they actually speak backstage or between concerts. Sting either flubbed the lyrics to several songs and/or he couldn't hit the high notes so he just didn't bother singing them. This really irritated me and detracted from the performance. I don't mind changing the timing of songs and altering them from the recordings as was the case with Beds Too Big Without You (which I loved) --if you want them to sound like the recording don't go to a concert. Loved their rendition of Can't Stand Losing You, and King of Pain -- it was neat to see Stewart Copeland using the different percussion instruments. Andy Summers was phenomenal on guitar. I can't believe he's in his 60s. While Stewart Copeland was king of percussion...in his own unique way. The concert just felt too stiff and scripted. They probably play the same set list every show.

I am glad that I finally got to see The Police in concert. I am also glad that we didn't pay $250 each for seats on the floor. The nosebleed seats weren't that bad considering we had binoculars/opera glasses, apart from the woman a couple of seats from us who had a piercing scream between songs. Not sure what she was on because this concert certainly wasn't scream-worthy, but I know she wasn't on pot because this is one of the few concerts where the smell of pot was not hanging in the air. Perhaps it's the smoking ban indoors...or perhaps it's because it's Dallas.