Ghost In The Machine: 1981/82

Just being there was enough, but Police sounded fine, too...

By definition, huge outdoor rock concerts like the SummerSounds '82 at McGill Stadium, are less forums for music than they are venues for experience.

The scene is the thing; just being part of that mass funnelling into the stadium, sharing the sardine syndrome entering and leaving the site, seeing friends and familiar faces and knowing that we're all here in this time and space for more or less the same reason, is its own reward.

The ostensible reason Wednesday, was, of course, performances by local rockers Corbeau, and UK bands A Flock Of Seagulls, English Beat and The Police.

Forget that the band members looked like ants from almost every where but the crushing zone directly in front the stage. SummerSounds scored heavily in every category needed to turn your basic evening of rock music into an Event.

The traffic and human congestion below the stadium on Pine Ave. at 6 p.m. that evening was a perfect adrenalin charge, and matched only by the anxious wait as 25,000 people filed through one of two main entry gates.

Once inside, the panorama of beer and food concessions, portable toilets and a huge stage dominated by a crane holding a protective roof in place with what looked like lighttest nautical rope, effectively turned the trick.

The excellent stage sound system and the sight of folks watching from the balconies of the adjoining Royal Victoria Hospital, and from nearby apartment buildings, was icing on the scene-making cake.

As one fellow said early on in the proceedings "This feels more like some American mid-west rock fest than a concert in Montreal".

And it did, too. Perhaps it's the clear, intelligent nature of The Police and the rock-reggae music they play, for they attracted a tanned, healthy summer crowd, many of whom had come for what they believed to be the last major blow-out before fall and the new school year.

Whatever, though the dealers were out in force hissing "hash, mescaline, acid" - one chirpy guy advertised a contradiction in terms called "good speed" the crowd seemed more interested in listening to the bands, visiting with friend and whittling away at the 100,000 beers imported for the occasion.

A Flock Of Seagulls opened as the bells tolled 6 pm (heralding an evening of precisely-scheduled performances), and many waiting outside the stadium, myself included, missed catching their show first-hand. The word from some who did was "yeh, fine, alright, bubble-gum for the '80s" and stuff like that.

Corbeau were cursed by a blown transformer and temporary power failure during their set, but their aggressive power of home-grown rock went over well with the crowd. Lead singer Marjolaine's little leopard-skin suit did nothing to detract from the music.

The heat and the meat of SummerSounds '82 came with the evening's major acts, however.

The seven-man English Beat play ska, the jumpy Jamaican precursor of reggae, and they play it with wit, passion and commitment. Vocalist Rankin' Roger pushed politics ("This song's about big power, big money, and big shots"), but he pushed fun, too and. together with his mates, set the stage for The Police and their wonderful 90-minute headlining set.

"It's just not fair" said a woman near us of bassist and lead singer Sting as the band started their set. "He's so good looking, he's intelligent, musical, rich and single too."

Sting, drummer Stewart Copeland and guitarist Andy Summers score on all those counts, with an emphasis on intelligence.

Their perfect, and perfectly boring play-by-numbers show in town last year indicated they had stretched the trio format to the maximum.

This year, they've had the smarts to add a three-piece horn section, and a whole new, warm, human dimension to the music.

Songs like 'Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic', 'Hungry For You' (with an intro by Sting unfit for publication in a family newspaper but squealingly received in the stadium) and 'Demolition Man' all benefitted from the punchy horn support, and served to spur the band on to an exciting, superbly-executed set.

And, lest anyone doubt Sting's formidable aura, the long-dreaded showers held off until he kicked into the very first chords of 'Shadows In The Rain', and, continued, ineffectively, until the end of the show.

"Yeh", said the woman next door as the first drops came down. "He's really got the magic."

(c) The Montreal Gazette by John Griffin

Police get complaints about Police...

Noise complaints from nearby hospitals and residents notwithstanding, the first of three Canadian dates this month by the smash British pop group the Police went off without a hitch here Wednesday.

About 25.000 flocked to the first concert ever at McGill Stadium under cool, overcast skies for the spectacle, which also featured the English Beat, A Flock of Seagulls and Corbeau. Police reported no serious incidents.

Administrators of three hospitals neighbouring the stadium the Royal Victoria. Hotel-Dieu and Ste. Jeanne d'Arc complained to police about the noise level during the afternoon sound checks.

Another 30 or so complaints from nearby residents were received in the early evening. a Montreal police spokesman said, but tapered off as the night progressed.

In fact, dozens of Royal Vic staff and penthouse apartment dwellers stepped out onto their balconies to at least hear who was playing in the little-used stadium, home of the McGill University Red- men football team and situated at the southeast corner of Mount Royal Park.

During the evening rush hour, traffic slowed to a crawl around the stadium as arriving spectators searched for parking spots and spilled off the sidewalk while waiting to enter the lone entrance.

Also inconvenienced were delegates to the general council of the United Church of Canada, who had to spend the night working away from an adjoining gymnasium where they have been meeting this week.

Many fans opted to miss the two opening acts the Liverpool-based Seagulls, whose tune, 'I Ran', is making a dent in the Canadian pop charts and Quebec hard rockers Corbeau.

But most had settled down in the bench-lined stands and plywood-covered turf when the Beat took to the stage with their infectious, ska-derived songs - although more than a few Montrealers abstained from joining in the chorus of 'Stand Down Margaret', the Birmingham band's musical assault on British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

The cheers which greeted the Police when they emerged confirmed that it was they
who the crowd really paid $15.50 each to watch and dance to.

Led by blonde bassist-songwriter Sting and backed by a two-man brass section, the trio delivered a tight, al- most sanitary set, dominated by the hits from their four LPs that have made them household names - among them 'Message In A Bottle', 'Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic' and 'Hungry For You'.

Guitarist Andy Summers had said in an interview the day before that he, Sting (who prefers that handle to his real name, Gordon Sumner) and drummer Stewart Copeland have been preoccupied with touring and solo projects to compose new material. A new album is expected next year.

(c) The Leader Post