Ghost In The Machine: 1981/82

Blackhearts, Police bands fast, energetic...

It was near the end of the Police's first encore at the Civic Center Tuesday night when lead singer Sting addressed the crowd. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but this is Birmingham, Ala.," he said.

Indeed, many natives probably would have not have recognized the crowd of about 15,000, which included a large number of youths decked out in skinny black ties, red headbands, and striped tee-shirts.

The unusual clothing was just the large gathering's way of welcoming the Police and Joan Jett, who rolled into the state of the Crimson Tide riding the crest of rock's New Wave.

The audience was not disappointed, as both bands put on fast-paced, high-energy shows that included all their best songs but never wallowed in self-indulgence.

Opening act Joan Jett and the Blackhearts quickly won over the big crowd within seconds after Jett ran onto the stage sporting the same white jacket and red scarf she wears on the cover of her chart-topping album, 'I Love Rock 'n' Roll'.

"I don't give a damn about a bad reputation," she shouted in her opening number, as she launched a whirlwind, 14-song set that emphasized her fast and raunchy numbers, including several songs from her obscure 'Bad Reputation' LP.

But Jett's stage mannerisms were more in line with the "heavy metal" posturing of her current album, as she shouted at the crowd with a clenched, raised fist and pranced about the stage with her guitar.

She also surprised the audience in the middle of the set by announcing, "I like a lot of things, but I love rock 'n' roll" and embarking on her current smash single.

The rest of the set was highlighted by cover versions of Tommy James and the Shondells' 'Crimson and Clover' and the Rolling Stones' 'Starstar'. The only clinker was a rushed remake of the Isley Brothers' 'Shout' that closed the set.

While Joan Jett and the Blackhearts played crisp versions that varied little from the originals, the Police gambled and experimented on almost every song.

The two openers - 'Message In A Bottle' and 'Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic' - clearly pleased the big crowd.

But the audience sat silently through a stripped-down version of 'Spirits In The Material World' that, without its distinctive synthesizer riff, lost much of its impact. Indeed, most of the richly textured, soul-influenced numbers from their recent 'Ghost In The Machine' LP suffered in the concert setting, despite the addition of a three-piece horn section.

But Sting's relaxed, sultry vocals and distinctive bass lines still managed to give the songs a fresh quality.

He was aided superbly by Andy Summers' intricate but low-key guitar playing and the manic drumming of Stewart Copeland, who was performing in front of his father who was born in Birmingham and about 15 local relatives.

The English trio sounded sharpest on the sparser numbers from its first two albums, including 'Roxanne', 'Walking On The Moon', and 'Bring On The Night'.

Meanwhile Sting displayed the kind of crowd control one would expect from a former schoolteacher; at one point he asked how many in the crowd spoke French, while later he urged a sing-along and told the crowd afterwards, "Very good.

The Police show included some "big-arena" stage trappings that other New Wave bands would shun, including whirling lights and mist coming from behind the stage.

But the crowd evidently loved it, bringing Sting and company back for two encores that featured 'Don't Stand So Close To Me', 'I Can't Stand Losing You', and 'So Lonely' before everyone had to go home and put the skinny ties away until the next concert.

(c) The Birmingham News by William Bunch