the police tour 2008

Flashback: The Police Take a Last Bow on Their Reunion Tour

By Andy Greene

Andy Greene

The Police played an astounding 151 concerts on their 2007/08 reunion tour and grossed $362 million, and even that doesn’t include merchandise, sponsorship deals and the many other ways they found to cash in on the occasion. The three of them might not be best friends, and Sting ‘s idea of a fun year probably doesn’t involve singing “Every Little Thing She Does is Magic” 151 times, but leaving all that money on the table would have involved Robert Plant-levels of restraint.

The tour wrapped up August 7, 2008 at New York’s Madison Square Garden, and they  donated the proceeds to public television in New York. Most every night on the tour opened up with “Message in a Bottle,” but at the farewell show they opened with Cream’s “Sunshine of Your Love” as a tribute to a previous generation’s rock trio that never quite got along either. (Three years earlier, Cream played their own final concert at MSG.) Later in the night, they played “Purple Haze” to honor yet another short-lived trio.

Sting grew a beard throughout the final leg of the tour, but after closing the main set with “Every Breath You Take,” he went backstage and overhead screens showed two women shaving off the entire thing with amazing speed while others shined his shoes and gave him a manicure. He emerged shirtless and clean-shaven and, like every show of the tour, the band closed out the night with “Next To You,” the very first song on the Police’s 1978 debut LP.

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After group bows, men came onstage in opera-style drag and a large woman mimed a bit of “Ritorna Vincitor” from Verdi’s Aida . (As they say, “It ain’t over until the fat lady sings.”) It was followed by the Looney Tunes theme, a little shimmy from Sting, Porky Pig stuttering his way through “That’s All, Folks,” a group photo in front of the stage, Sting yelling into the mic “Madison Square Garden, this is the center of New York City, the center of the world, thank you, thank you,” Stewart Copeland ripping his shirt off and the three of them walking offstage.

Odds are extremely high they’ll never play together again, but if the surviving Beach Boys could reunite for a tour, we suppose anything is possible.

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Music Review | The Police

With Jokes and a Kiss, the Police End a Civil Reunion

By Nate Chinen

• Aug. 8, 2008

The final concert by the Police, at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night, could have felt like any number of things: a victory lap, a spectacle, a backward glance, an amen. It was all of the above to one degree or another, but what it ultimately suggested was the last day of school. At the close of a reunion tour that stretched past a year, reaching well over three million fans and earning more than $350 million, this three-piece rock band seemed not only festive but also relieved, and frankly giddy at the prospect of freedom.

“It’s been a huge honor to get back together,” a full-bearded Sting said several songs into the show, before thanking the group’s drummer, Stewart Copeland, and its guitarist, Andy Summers, “for your musicianship, your companionship, your friendship, your understanding, your patience with me.” Have a nice summer, he could have added.

Instead he sounded a note of jocular confession: “The real triumph of this tour is that we haven’t strangled each other.” Not that it hadn’t crossed their minds, he added. The crowd roared knowingly, well versed in the history of a band that broke up in 1984, at the pinnacle of its success, in a bitter haze of clashing egos.

So the tour, which began in May 2007, has apparently been more of a diplomatic rapprochement than a sentimental journey. But it has also been a chance for the band to revisit its pioneering sound, a sparse but kinetic hybrid of reggae, punk and new wave that conquered charts and airwaves from the late 1970s to the mid-’80s. The grand finale on Thursday, a benefit for the New York public television stations WNET and WLIW, was no different in that regard: it confirmed the unusual chemistry that always bonded these artists, musically if not personally.

Along with most of its bigger hits, like the tersely reverberant “Walking on the Moon,” the band played a handful of less celebrated tracks, including “Hole in My Life,” a jaunty complaint, and “Demolition Man,” a hard-charging boast. Social commentary arrived in the form of songs like “Driven to Tears” and “Invisible Sun.”

There was ample opportunity to savor the atmospheric and judicious guitar playing of Mr. Summers, and the propulsive, breezily intricate drumming of Mr. Copeland. Of course Sting’s soaring vocals were front and center throughout, as were his mostly durable songs.

In a nod to the setting, the group welcomed nearly two dozen members of the New York City Police Department band near the start of the show, for a souped-up version of “Message in a Bottle.” This did nothing to improve the song, but it was welcome stagecraft, even if Sting looked patently silly in a police cap.

There were other anomalies. The opener was “Sunshine of Your Love,” and the first encore was “Purple Haze.” This was a nod to two other lean and flexible rock trios: Cream, which had its own blockbuster reunion not long ago, and the Jimi Hendrix Experience, which never got the chance. Obviously the Police were staking a claim here, and the point was well taken, though neither cover felt half as strong as the original.

Sting had other points to make. Introducing “Don’t Stand So Close to Me,” he recalled his early career as a schoolteacher, mock-lamenting his wayward path as a rock star. This would have been insufferably smug, if not for the tableau presented before the encore: after leaving the stage, Sting settled into a barber’s chair backstage, preposterously, for a shave and a manicure. His shirtless image, projected onto the large screen above the stage, elicited hoots and cheers, especially when Mr. Copeland entered the frame to deliver a kiss on the lips. Everyone was in on the joke.

But the concert’s closing moments — involving a crew member in costume as the fat lady singing, and an audio clip of Porky Pig stammering “That’s all, Folks” — came across like a fizzy drink with a bitter aftertaste. It was a prankish, almost flippant way to go, but its sharp ambivalence felt totally honest.

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The Police: Certifiable

Concert film of The Police during the 2007-08 reunion tour. Concert film of The Police during the 2007-08 reunion tour. Concert film of The Police during the 2007-08 reunion tour.

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Did you know

• Trivia The title is derived from a quote by Sting in response to a question about The Police ever doing a reunion tour, "I think that would be good cause to have me certified insane",

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• beresfordjd
• Oct 9, 2010
• November 11, 2008 (United States)
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• $1,500,000 (estimated)

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• Runtime 2 hours 39 minutes
• Dolby Digital
• 1.78 : 1 / (high definition)

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Live reviews

The Police concert was one of, if not the best, live shows I have ever attended.

The show was at Dolphin Stadium in Miami, outdoors on a hot July night. The atmosphere was magical, absolutely electric. It was so exciting!

The Police hadn’t toured for years, and now they were back, live, and no one there was going to miss a second! This was my first time seeing The Police live, and I was really surprised at how engaged they were with the crowd. I had expected pretty much a straight set list, with a break in the middle, but the band talks a lot during their shows. Lots of jokes, unscripted conversation and interaction with the audience

.This show was part of the 30th Anniversary Tour, so the set list was classic – they opened with Message in A Bottle, and played all their hits – Synchronicity, Don’t Stand So Close to Me, Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic, De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da, Roxanne and of course Every Breath You Take. The crowd sang along quite a bit, and was encouraged by the band. This show will always stick out in my memory. Just seeing The Police was great of course, but the outside venue, the crowd standing on the field, right up close to the stage and the hot summer night made it even more special.

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<== previous entry

On 2008-06-20, The Police performed at Stormont Castle in Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK.

• 2 Recording information
• 5.1 Reviews and discussion
• 5.2 Photogalleries
• 6 References
• Message In A Bottle
• Walking On The Moon
• Demolition Man
• Voices Inside My Head
• When The World Is Running Down
• Don't Stand So Close To Me
• Driven To Tears
• Hole In My Life
• Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
• Wrapped Around Your Finger
• De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da
• Invisible Sun
• Can't Stand Losing You
• King Of Pain
• Every Breath You Take
• Next To You

Recording information

This section needs more information. Please note if an official or unofficial recording, or recording(s), is known to exists of this performance.

• The concert was not held in front of Stormont Castle specifically but rather in a field on the Stormont estate grounds.
• During the sound check, The Police rehearsed Wrapped Around Your Finger .
• Bobby Sager, photographer responsible for the photos shown throughout the tour during Invisible Sun , was in attendance in Belfast, taking photos of both the band and the audience during this night's performance of the song.
• Because today was the summer solstice, most of the concert on this night was performed in daylight.
• After the concert Stewart Copeland entertained a small group of fans backstage.
• 2007-2008 Reunion Tour

External links

Reviews and discussion.

• Best Bordeaux backstage for Sting in Belfast
• REVIEW: Police take centre stage at castle
• Krypton Forum: Belfast: what a great gig. Stewart Copeland: what a nice man

Photogalleries

• The Police Concert 20th June 2008
• The Police Live Belfast June 2008
• 20 June 2008 - Belfast - Waiting & Concert
• 20 June 2008 - Belfast - Waiting & Soundcheck
• The Police "Message in a bottle" live at Stormont, Belfast
• Police - Stormont Belfast 20-6-08 Driven To Tears
• The Police 'So Lonely' - live at Stormont, Belfast 20.06.08
• Police - Stormont Belfast 20-6-08 Every Breath You Take
• The Police live at stormont 2008, medley of songs
• The Police in Belfast: "Every Little Thing She Does": Magic!
• Police - Message in a Bottle STORMONT
• Police - Roxanne - STORMONT
• The Police "every breath you take" Live at stormont Belfast
• Police live at Stormont
• The Police at Stormont, June 2008
• "ThePolice.com virtual ticket." ThePolice.com. UltraStar Entertainment LLC. 24 Jun 2008. < http://www.thepolice.com/virtualticket/index.php?v=dsl&id=145 >

next entry ==>

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• Police, The
• February 13, 2008 Setlist

The Police Setlist at Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan

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Tour: Reunion Tour Tour statistics Add setlist

• Message in a Bottle Play Video
• Synchronicity II Play Video
• Walking on the Moon Play Video
• Voices Inside My Head / When the World Is Running Down, You Make the Best of What's Still Around Play Video
• Don't Stand So Close to Me Play Video
• Driven to Tears Play Video
• Hole in My Life Play Video
• Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic Play Video
• Wrapped Around Your Finger Play Video
• De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da Play Video
• Invisible Sun Play Video
• Walking in Your Footsteps Play Video
• Can't Stand Losing You / Reggatta de Blanc Play Video
• Roxanne Play Video
• King of Pain Play Video
• So Lonely Play Video
• Every Breath You Take Play Video
• Next to You Play Video

Edits and Comments

6 activities (last edit by arthur2102 , 22 Jul 2013, 04:34 Etc/UTC )

Songs on Albums

• Every Breath You Take
• King of Pain
• Synchronicity II
• Walking in Your Footsteps
• Wrapped Around Your Finger
• Hole in My Life
• Next to You
• De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da
• Don't Stand So Close to Me
• Driven to Tears
• Voices Inside My Head / When the World Is Running Down, You Make the Best of What's Still Around
• Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
• Invisible Sun
• Message in a Bottle
• Walking on the Moon
• Can't Stand Losing You / Reggatta de Blanc

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• Feb 13 2008 Tokyo Dome This Setlist Tokyo, Japan Add time Add time
• Feb 14 2008 Tokyo Dome Tokyo, Japan Add time Add time
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