Not that West Palm Beach festival differs from any other pop/rock performances these days. At the recent Police concert, front-row patrons were berated with a choice obscenity by the lead singer of opening act Maroon 5 for failing to dance during his group's performance. It's a safe bet that at some point in the typical concert today, someone within earshot of a microphone will be intentionally uttering one of George Carlin's famous Seven Words You Can't Say On Television.
Of course, this would be no big deal if there were nothing but adults in attendance, but festivals like Sunfest tend to count a number of families amongst their audiences. This is also true for a number of the bigger tours making the rounds with artistes that appeal to an older demographic, i.e. people with kids. Perhaps you fault these parents for exposing their children to a potentially iffy environment, but it seems odd that so many rock artists would be finding their inner potty-mouths at a time when the broadcast industry is still reeling from the post-wardrobe-malfunction standards enforcements of the FCC. But then again, late-night dramas on basic cable are now peppered with profanities, so apparently those at yet untouched by heavy fines are attempting to get away with it while they still can. But it will be interesting to see if the trend of salty concert dialogue will continue, or if there will eventually be a backlash against the onslaught of obscenities...
Sept. 2007
Lake Worth, Florida
July 10, 2007
Dolphin Stadium
Miami, Florida
Ostensibly, the impetus for this big reunion was to mark the 30th anniversary of the group's first hit single "Roxanne", and the set list was essentially drawn from a commemorative 28-track collection, entitled simply "The Police". In keeping with the even-handedness of this retrospective, the concert went beyond the expected hits, such as "Walking On The Moon", to featured some of the group's lesser-known material, such as "Truth Hits Everybody" from the Outlandos D'Amour album, and even a snippet of the funky "Voices Inside My Head" from Zenyatta Mondatta.
For this reunion effort, The Police seemed determined to raise their game, perhaps recognizing that they would be judged against the performances of their last big outing, the '83-'84 world tour in support of the Synchronicity album. On that previous tour, they at least had support from two backing female singers; this time around, the band performs strictly as a trio. But the vocal chords of the South Florida crowd were up to the challenge of fleshing out the radio gem "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic", and happily supplied the group's trademark "ee-yo-yo" chants wherever Sting requested them, most notably on the "Reggata De Blance" segment spliced midway through the performance of "Cant Stand Losing You".
More than trying to prove they had not lost a step musically, the trio seemed intent to demonstrate that their solo experiences had improved their musicianship. After years of low-key vocalizing on his jazz-fusion efforts, Sting returned triumphantly to his pseudo-punk form, even singing "Don't Stand So Close To Me" in a higher key than the recording. Stewart Copeland stepped out from behind his drum kit to render intricate percussion work for songs such as "Walking In Your Footsteps", "Wrapped Around Your Finger" and "King Of Pain". During the group's recording career, Andy Summers had pointedly avoided conventional rock solos; now he embraces them in extensive segments in songs such as "Synchronicity II", though it is hard to say that this is an improvement over his spacey interludes that had characterized the recording.
Perhaps the most interesting innovation is in the area of arrangements, where the member's post-group jazz endeavours have managed to make a subtle impact in places without overwhelming the trademark Police sound. The aforementioned "Roxanne" particularly benefits from an extended jazzy interlude that vitalizes a song long worn out by overplay on classic-rock radio.
Best of all was the sense that the group members were actually enjoying themselves. At several points Sting could be seen on the monitors with a broad smile, a far cry from the days when he and band founder Copeland would physically fight each other backstage before returning for the encore. This should bode well for the inevitable tour extension, and fans who skipped this show should avoid missing out once more on one of the best tours in years.
"It's my birthday too, yeah"
In honour of my milestone birthday on Sept. 29th, allow me the indulgence to talk about famous musicians with birthdays either in my birth month or in my astrological sign (Libra):
Sept. 26th: Bryan Ferry
"We're too young for reason/Too grown up to dream"
The stylish former frontman for Roxy Music was born in 1945
Sept. 29th: Jerry Lee Lewis
"Now don't be ashamed of your age/Now don't let the years get you down"
Rock-n-roll legend "The Killer", last surviving member of Sun Record's Million-Dollar Quartet, pre-dated me on my birthday in 1935
Oct. 2nd: Sting
"Why don't we turn the clocks to zero, honey/I'll sell all the stocks, we'll spend all the money/We're starting up a brand new day"
The leadman for the The Police, was born Gordon Matthew Sumner in 1951
Oct. 9th: John Lennon
"Thoughts meander like a restless wind inside a letterbox/They stumble blindly as they make their way across the universe"
The former Beatle would have been sixty-seven this year...
June/July 2007