Police Reunion: 2007/08

The Police conquer Bilbao before more than 35,000 fans...

More than 35,000 fans sang along last night in Bilbao to the hits of a pop-rock band that has managed to return, almost 30 years later, exuding elegance, technique, and quality to demonstrate why they are part of the musical elite. Sting, Summers, and Copeland together again are The Police.

The British trio, headliners of the first day of the Bilbao BBK Live 08 festival, took the stage before an expectant audience that, from the first chord of "Message In A Bottle," the song that opened the show, gave their all to the legendary group's first and possibly only concert in the Basque Country.

Although a few drops of rain appeared intermittently during the evening, they failed to intimidate the diverse audience—of all ages and backgrounds—that the British band gathered at the Kobetamendi meadows.

One after another, The Police strung out seventeen songs that thrilled their fans. Among them were the historic "Do Do Do Do De Da Da Da," "Roxanne," "Can't Stand Losing You," "Voices Inside My Head," "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic," "Walking On The Moon," "King of Pain," and "So Lonely."

Thus, a ninety-minute tour of the songs that made them a legendary group—despite the fact that they only released five albums until their split in 1984—proved once again why The Police are present in the Olympus of contemporary music.

The three veterans, dressed entirely in black—except for Copeland's white gloves—showed off their instrumental virtuosity with several glorious moments, such as Summers' guitar riffs at various points during the concert.

'Every Breath You Take,' a true anthem for The Police fans, served as the icing on the cake for a performance that, while offering no major surprises—it followed the same pattern as last Wednesday's performance in Valencia—left a good taste in the mouths of even the most sceptical of the band's return.

After a warm ovation, the English group returned to the stage to perform 'Next To You' and closed out the concert in Spanish with a brief 'Goodbye, thank you very much,' a concert that will surely be etched in the memories of those present.

In addition to the British trio's performance, the Bilbao BBK Live 08 festival featured seven other bands on its first day, offering more than ten hours of great live music, including the evocative English trio 'Morcheeba,' who presented their latest album, 'Dive Deep,' and the irreverent 'Dandy Warhols,' renowned for their hit television song 'Bohemian Like You.'

(c) Publico