Copeland reviews Police concert

[IDDrummer]

Well, it sounds like they are off to a bit of a rough start. At least they've got a good sense of humor about it these days!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070601/en_nm/police1_dc

[gcarlet]

From his forum:

“Whenever you’re ready Mr. Copeland” says Charlie, the production manager, as two crew members hold aside the giant gong, creating just enough space for me to slither onto my percussion stage, which is still down in its pit. I leap on board but my foot catches something and I sprawl into the arena in a jumble as the little stage starts to rise into view. Never mind. The audience is screaming with anticipation as I collect myself in the dark and start to warm, up the gong with a few gentle taps. But I’m overdoing it. It’s resonating and reaching it’s crescendo before the stage has fully reached its position. Sort of like a premature ejaculation. There’s nothing for it so I take a big swing for the big hit. Problem is, I’m just fractionally too far away and the beater misses the sweet spot and the big pompous opening to the show is a damp squib. Never mind.

I stride manfully to my drums. Andy has started the opening guitar riff to MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE and the crowd is going nuts. Problem is, I missed hearing him start. Is he on the first time around or the second? I look over at Sting and he’s not much help, his cue is me – and I’m lost. Never mind. “Crack!” on the snare and I’m in, so Sting starts singing. Problem is, he heard my crack as two in the bar, but it was actually four – so we are half a bar out of sync with each other. Andy is in Idaho.

Well we are professionals so we soon get sorted, but the groove is eluding us. We crash through MESSAGE and then go strait into SYNCHRONICITY. But there is just something wrong. We just can’t get on the good foot. We shamble through the song and hit the big ending. Last night Sting did a big leap for the cut-off hit, and he makes the same move tonight, but he gets the footwork just a little bit wrong and doesn’t quite achieve lift-off. The mighty Sting momentarily looks like a petulant pansy instead of the god of rock. Never Mind. Next song is going to be great…

But it isn’t. We get to the end of the first verse and I snap into the chorus groove – and Sting doesn’t. He’s still in the verse. We’ll have to listen to the tapes tomorrow to see who screwed up, but we are so off kilter that Sting counts us in to begin the song again. This is ubeLIEVably lame. We are the mighty Police and we are totally at sea.

And so it goes, for song after song. All I can think about is how Dietmar is going to string us up. In rehearsal this afternoon we changed the keys of EVERY LITTLE THING and DON’T STAND SO CLOSE so needless to say Andy and Sting are now on-stage in front of twenty thousand fans playing avant-garde twelve-tone hodgepodges of both tunes. Lost, lost, lost. I also changed my part for DON’T STAND and it’s actually working quite well but there is a dissonant noise coming from my two colleagues. In WALKING/FOOTSTEPS, I worked out a cool rhythm change for the rock-a-billy guitar solo, but now I make a complete hash of it – by playing it in the wrong part of the song. It’s not sounding so cool.

It usually takes about four or five shows in a tour before you get to the disaster gig. But we’re The Police so we are a little ahead of schedule. It’s only the second show (not counting the fan gig – 4,000 people doesn’t count as a gig in the Police scale of things).
When we meet up back-stage for the first time after the set and before the encores, we fall into each other’s arms laughing hysterically. Above our heads, the crowd is making so much noise that we can’t talk. We just shake our heads ruefully and head back up the stairs to the stage. Funny thing is, we are enjoying ourselves anyway. Screw it, it’s only music. What are you gonna do? But maybe it’s time to get out of Vancouver…

[murphinelli]

Ha! Just as I predicted! These jokers are not going to make it through the summer! Ah, screw it, it's only music? It's only multi-millions of dollars in your pockets...that's why it's such a joke. Keep laughing Mr. I wish I could be a Jazz Drummer!

[Muckster]

Sounds like one of thier crappy concerts i went to in the early eighties.

[ajgdrums722]

What's with all the Copeland hate? The 'mistakes' they made were probably being blown out of proportion by Stewart. I'm still trying to find tickets. I have to see these guys live and this will likely be my last chance.

[driver]

Nice to know even the giants have rough gigs! I love Coplands funny take on it all. Thats healthy.

Originally Posted by murphinelli

Ha! Just as I predicted! These jokers are not going to make it through the summer! Ah, screw it, it's only music? It's only multi-millions of dollars in your pockets...that's why it's such a joke. Keep laughing Mr. I wish I could be a Jazz Drummer!

I'll agree that they don't seem totally prepared or in the right mental state to do a successful tour, but your comments still seem a bit harsh. How many sold out shows have you played in your careeer? How many albums have you sold? How many drummers worldwide know your name and list you as an influence?

Didn't think so.

[Mapex589]

I still cant wait to see this show! By the time they get to St. Louis they'll have the bugs worked out.

[IDDrummer]

Originally Posted by Mapex589

I still cant wait to see this show! By the time they get to St. Louis they'll have the bugs worked out.

Yeah, it sounds like they had two main issues - last-minute key changes, causing unfamiliarity with the material, and inadequate monitoring. The other stuff just happens, you know. Anybody can trip...

I'm sure they'll be tighter by St. Louis.

[Drum-Head]

Also these are the first shows, right? It always takes some time to "get into it" at the beginning of a tour.

I applaud Stewart Copelands' honesty! I wish more musicians out there could be this candid and truthful about what REALLY happens when they get together and "jam" after years of NOT jamming together! Cudos to Copeland...Play On! ;-)

[murphinelli]

Originally Posted by fourstringdrums

I'll agree that they don't seem totally prepared or in the right mental state to do a successful tour, but your comments still seem a bit harsh. How many sold out shows have you played in your careeer? How many albums have you sold? How many drummers worldwide know your name and list you as an influence?

Didn't think so.

Being famous does not give someone like Stewart a free pass. I saw these guys 25 years ago when they were a real band and deserved the praise and $$. It doesn't even sound like they rehearsed for this concert tour. It sounds more like let's get together and jam and see what happens. And if we screw up...who cares...and we can laugh all the way to the bank. I'm not laughing and I'm not paying and I didn't laugh when Stewart made all his idiotic comments about jazz and jazz musicians.

All of his ramblings may sound funny and honest to some people. It sounds unprofessional and immature to me. He was a big influence on me also way back when, but since he's come back into the limelight...he's lost my respect big time.

[JIM_fear]

Originally Posted by murphinelli

Being famous does not give someone like Stewart a free pass. I saw these guys 25 years ago when they were a real band and deserved the praise and $$. It doesn't even sound like they rehearsed for this concert tour. It sounds more like let's get together and jam and see what happens. And if we screw up...who cares...and we can laugh all the way to the bank. I'm not laughing and I'm not paying and I didn't laugh when Stewart made all his idiotic comments about jazz and jazz musicians.

All of his ramblings may sound funny and honest to some people. It sounds unprofessional and immature to me. He was a big influence on me also way back when, but since he's come back into the limelight...he's lost my respect big time.

I believe this is what you are talking about.

Originally Posted by murphinelli

Being famous does not give someone like Stewart a free pass. I saw these guys 25 years ago when they were a real band and deserved the praise and $$. It doesn't even sound like they rehearsed for this concert tour. It sounds more like let's get together and jam and see what happens. And if we screw up...who cares...and we can laugh all the way to the bank. I'm not laughing and I'm not paying and I didn't laugh when Stewart made all his idiotic comments about jazz and jazz musicians.

All of his ramblings may sound funny and honest to some people. It sounds unprofessional and immature to me. He was a big influence on me also way back when, but since he's come back into the limelight...he's lost my respect big time.

Hey murph! As much as I respect your posts, here on Drummerworld, I think you missed it on this one. I think you may be blowing this out of proportion to the real story. It's a simple comment about a truthful take on what Copeland believes happened, at this particular show, and it doesn't need to be taken so negatively by others who are on the outside looking in.

Who cares what was "maybe" said in the past, or even if what was said in the past, really was said...that has NOTHING to do with this incident! I still stand by what Stewart Copeland said, and the honesty it took to say this about HIS OWN BAND! I believe he's actually trying to motivate his bandmates, INCLUDING himself, into performing better during the rest of their tour. I stand behind him and the Police, WITHOUT any monetary reason or motivation on their part...Play On! ;-)

[Skitch]

Originally Posted by murphinelli

Being famous does not give someone like Stewart a free pass. I saw these guys 25 years ago when they were a real band and deserved the praise and $$. It doesn't even sound like they rehearsed for this concert tour. It sounds more like let's get together and jam and see what happens. And if we screw up...who cares...and we can laugh all the way to the bank. I'm not laughing and I'm not paying and I didn't laugh when Stewart made all his idiotic comments about jazz and jazz musicians.

All of his ramblings may sound funny and honest to some people. It sounds unprofessional and immature to me. He was a big influence on me also way back when, but since he's come back into the limelight...he's lost my respect big time.

I am going to go see them in Dallas and I will give you an honest opinion as to what it was like....

However, I am not really a fan of Stewart's attitude ever...and I think one thing that you have to look at is that Sting did work with Andy in his solo career but not much with Stewart. And I think that the friction between the two is more of an attitude coming off of Stewart towards Sting. And still, it is funny that everyone sometimes takes everything for granted like knowing a song that they wrote one minute and then realizing. "What...where did that come from?" when you change keys or haven't rehearsed quite enough. I did see Sting on the Brand New Day tour with one of my all-time favorite drummers, Manu Katche and it was a good show!

The one thing that I don't want to go see is a show of a band that should have titled the tour "Our last big money grab!"

And in all honesty there is some truth to what Stewart said about SOME jazz musicians...I have played one more than one gig with some jazz musicians who couldn't plod their way thru Mustang Sally. Then they spent the rest of the night excusing their poor performance on the song being crappy music. The comment about Miles and 'Trane was way out of line but may have been said to stir up some controversy for more attention. And I do think that Peter Erskine pretty much told Stewart what's what in a letter to Modern Drummer.


Mike

http://www.mikemccraw.com
http://www.dominoretroplate.com

http://www.youtube.com/drummermikemccraw
http://www.myspace.com/drummermikemccraw

[TomasHakkesBrain]

For those not in the UK Copeland was judging this awful program celebrities come ice dancing or something and he was famed for his harsh words. On mike dolbears site he also said that Paiste ride cymbals suck, so he should maybe stick to playing and leave the reviews up to those with journalistic experience.

[murphinelli]

Originally Posted by Skitch

And I do think that Peter Erskine pretty much told Stewart what's what in a letter to Modern Drummer.

This I would like to see. Available online?

[Davidb59]

If I screwed up in my job like it sounds like the Police did doing theirs I would have my clients refusing to pay. It's not really good enough and admitting that you were falling about laughing at what you just did is pretty unprofessional to say the least.

[IDDrummer]

Originally Posted by Davidb59

If I screwed up in my job like it sounds like the Police did doing theirs I would have my clients refusing to pay.

Yeah, I know what you mean, but the Grateful Dead did that all the time and people just kept going to the shows. There's more to it than how a band plays on one given night.

Music must be different than a regular job in some ways!? (I just said that to be funny and ironic, though I know the internet won't convey that properly...)

[Casper "DrPowerStroke" Paludan]

Originally Posted by Davidb59

If I screwed up in my job like it sounds like the Police did doing theirs I would have my clients refusing to pay. It's not really good enough and admitting that you were falling about laughing at what you just did is pretty unprofessional to say the least.

To you and everybody else with cynical comments about this: Stewart comes out very funny about 5 or six mistakes in a long, long show packed with hits and probably great musicianship. Jim Hall, I am told, is never satisfied with anything he does, and yet it is beautiful to the rest of us. I wonder if the audience at this show didn't feel the same.

So just let's rejoice that Stewart shares his amusing observations online, because that is kind of rare. DPS

[Davidb59]

It would be good to see some independent reviews of the same gig but although SC recounts a limited number of problems it is clear from the whole piece that he and the rest of the band screwed up and knew that they did. They should have rehearsed so that they were able to deliver the goods they had been paid to deliver. It is not cynical to expect that is it?

[Rhythmic Disciple]

Well, I laughed all the way through that piece by Stewart. I don't see why some of us are getting so ruffled by his ramblings. Honest and quite humorous...

The thing is everyone's entitled to have an opinion. Stewart probably doesn't care if you love or hate Jazz musicians, Miles Davis or John Coltrane, and in the same way, we shouldn't care what he thinks about them either. His experiences, good or bad, are largely based on a lifetime in the industry, sadly ours are not. BUT it doesn't mean I agree with everything he says or does.

Should they have rehearsed? Probably, but we don't know what their day-to-day lives are like...

[rendezvous_drummer]

From the videos i've seen on the net and from people that I know who went to the show, sounded as if the first show in Vancouver was pretty damn boring to watch.

[Garvin]

Jim_Fear... Thanks for the link... WOW!!! It was pretty funny to read some of the stuff he said. Funny, and kind of sad I guess. Part of me thinks he had to be joking, incase anyone missed that link, here's a few of my favorite quotes.

"Coltrane, same thing. [In a condescending voice] "Love supreme, love supreme" it's a joke."

"Jazz musicians as a rule are stuck up snobs. And the reason is because they don't get laid! Rock musicians get laid, jazz musicians don't!"

"Jazz, any fool can do it; all you gotta do is practice."

"The problem with jazz musicians is that they are all crap. It's sort of like jazz is the refuge of the talent-less."

"If you really want to be a musician and you are prepared to really work hard at it, but you don't have the gift and you don't have any soul and you don't have any talent, jazz is what you should do;"

That is some funny stuff... And to think I almost considered myself a jazz musician... Apparently I get laid too much! HA!

[foursticks]

Originally Posted by murphinelli

This I would like to see. Available online?

I second that. Links anyone?

[Skitch]

Originally Posted by IDDrummer

Yeah, I know what you mean, but the Grateful Dead did that all the time and people just kept going to the shows. There's more to it than how a band plays on one given night.

Music must be different than a regular job in some ways!? (I just said that to be funny and ironic, though I know the internet won't convey that properly...)

I think might have had something to do with the Kool-Aid bonus (according to Frank Zappa) at the Dead concerts.


Mike

http://www.mikemccraw.com
http://www.dominoretroplate.com

http://www.youtube.com/drummermikemccraw
http://www.myspace.com/drummermikemccraw

[Skitch]

Originally Posted by rendezvous_drummer

From the videos i've seen on the net and from people that I know who went to the show, sounded as if the first show in Vancouver was pretty damn boring to watch.

Well,

I went to the show in Dallas last night! I do believe it was a sell-out but ther local radio stations were giving tickets away as fast as they could the last few days. The radio contest started with a "be the 100th caller when you hear a Police song to win tickets" and eventually became "Would anyone please call when we play a Police song - we will give you tickets". Maybe the Radio stations needed to rethink the 99 people calling thing?


My honest observations were that Andy is far more subdued than Sting or Stewart. He is older; he was 33 when the Police broke into the mainstream big time, so he should be about 60. Andy is a great musician!

Sequences: I think that four songs used sequencing and a click track and all were from the Syncronicity album:

• Every Breath You Take
• Wrapped Around your Finger
• Walking in Your Footsteps
• King of Pain

Oddly enough, they did play Syncronicity II without sequences.

Sting had what I believe were Tarus pedals, played by foot, in front of him. I think these were what Rush used to use on the Exit...Stage Left tour. My seats were behind the band where I could see Stewart and I was maybe 40 yards away looking down - I felt pretty good seats as I go to a concert to learn and the fact that the tickets were nearly $80 a pop. There were video screens on the lighting truss, one on each of the four sides of the truss. A Camera crew scuttled about getting clos-ups and stuff like that.

It was apparent that Sting was in much better shape than Stewart or Andy which is a big deal for being on a long, demanding tour. I will hit the gym tomorrow! There were times that Stewart seemed to forget what was about to happen next in the song he was playing - who was soloing, was there a solo - stuff like that. Also, when Stewart was on close-up on the screen, he seemed to look fatigued - again, demands of a long tour being on the road - and I don't care how great the hotel room is, the schedule is demanding and the time can wear on you!

Stewart did play like Stewart (his trademark style) and there didn't seem to be the screw-ups (not at least big time) as he insinuated in his blog. However, there were times that the songs didn't flow - but hey, I am a musician and I know those songs like the back of my hand!

Some of the songs had been dropped a key (save the voice) and they did lose the crowd in some of the lesser known songs, like Walking on the Moon and The Bed is too Big without You, especially when they were played back to back to back.

All in all, and having never been to a Police concert before, I would have to say that I don't know if I would shell out the money for the concert tickets again.

The one thing that I do understand from the older guys who have gone on to do other things than playing the drums is that the drumset is not a very forgiving instrument whejn it comes to being away for some time (a long layoff on a regular basis). The drumset will let you know that you have been gone awhile and that you aren't a spring chicken as you once were! So Stewart, who has been doing other things with is time besides playing drums every day, may be fatigued at both the touring and coming back to playing quite a bit more than he has!

I would cut him a little slack if it weren't for his mouth getting in the way and that may be Stewart trying to grab the spotlight from Sting a little.

Stewart did have the entire Paiste Catalog on stage with him, including the biggest gong Paiste makes.

Mike

http://www.mikemccraw.com
http://www.dominoretroplate.com

http://www.youtube.com/drummermikemccraw
http://www.myspace.com/drummermikemccraw

[The Gare]

I saw them at Dodger Stadium on the 23rd and having been a Police fan from way back and never seeing them live before, I really enjoyed it. THey played all the hits. With that being said, I thought something was wrong and/or different on about 4-5 songs. Sting sang them differently, which kinda ruins it since you I know the songs very well and I really want ot hear it like I remember. I can understand maybe re-tooling some to fit your mood now, they are their songs to do that with, but all in all I enjoyed it.

Touring is easier on the younger body than it is the old! I have been reading a bit of Stewarts comments and I commend him for being honest about the show went from his point of view. We are all our own worst critics, I am sure they are no different. As a musician, you always hope to fool the audience when your not on your game. We have all had those kinds of nights.

Anyway...

[Mapex589]

Went to the show in St. Louis, MO last night and I love it. I really enjoyed the arrangements of some of the songs too. I know some people don't like when bands change their arrangements but they really did a great job to keep the intergrity of the originals. The show was killer their were some very subtle misses but that keeps it real IMO. I think Tama sold a snare drum last night as well.....the sound of Stewart's signature snare was so increadible I gotta get one!! (and yes it was his signature snare....I was so close I could see the die cast hoop on top!!) It was a great show and to those of you with tickets.....enjoy the show!!