Ghost In The Machine: 1981/82

Police, Go-Go's Please Crowd...

The Anglo-American pairing of The Police and The Go- Go's at the Omni Wednesday night resulted in one of the strongest concert bills Atlanta rock fans have seen in a long time.

And with a near capacity crowd, it also was easily the biggest local show featuring performers coming out of rock's New Wave scene - not that the New Wave tag really fits either of these bands any more. Both have entered the mainstream, both musically and commercially.

The Go-Go's' brand of '60s influenced pop-rock blending of the vocal style of the old girl groups with a Venturesque surf-tinged instrumental sound - isn't as challenging as The Police's music. But the Los Angeles-based all-girl band had the crowd dancing in the aisles to such tunes as 'Vacation', 'We Got the Beat' and the hit 'Our Lips Are Sealed'. It was the warmest reception I've ever seen an opening act get.

However, The Police - vocalist Sting, guitarist Andy Summers and drummer Stewart Copeland (the British band's lone American member) didn't have to worry about being upstaged thanks to Sting's engaging personality and fine vocals and the group's catchy melodies and tasteful playing.

The Police get a more varied sound out of three basic instruments than do most groups three times that size. Their bright sound, often utilizing a reggae beat, seems deceptively simple on casual listening, but Summers' intricate guitar-work adds depth, as do their thought-provoking lyrics.

Wednesday's performance - supplemented at times by a brass section - covered all of the band's four albums, but concentrated heavily on the recent 'Ghost in the Machine' with such selections as 'Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic', 'Spirits in the Material World', 'Hungry For You' and 'Demolition Man'.

Still, the older hits were not ignored and the crowd as Sting and company went roared loudly and sang along through 'De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da', 'Roxanne' and 'Don't Stand So Close To Me'.

(c) The Atlanta Constitution by Bill King