Police band takes over the Cleveland Agora with a sellout...
"You've got to try to be unique," said Sting after the show.
Sting (once Gordon Sumner) is the Police's tall, blond charismatic singer who made the Cleveland Agora seem made the like the Yellow Bird Cafe in Jamaica, who mesmerized the sold-out audience with a mix of reggae and rock.
His voice vibrated between a croon and a yell as he sang unintelligible words during a moving 'Walking on the Moon' song.
"I just make up words as I go along. I improvise. It's fun," he said.
Sting turned out to be an English version of the "Latin From Manhattan." He learned his reggae in the 100 Club on London's Oxford St. He has never been to the West Indian islands.
There were only three onstage Monday night tall American drummer Stewart Copeland, son of a CIA agent; short, curly haired guitarist Andrew Summers; and Sting on bass and Moog synthesizer, but they seemed like 12. Copeland had been with Curved Air, Summers had served in the Animals and Soft Machine.
The Police has been criticized in some quarters for adulterating reggae. I found the music refreshing, a filip, a relaxed switch from mainstream rock.
The show was long, at times the songs blended a bit, but they were never dull.
"We like to alternate rock and reggae. Sometimes we even do this in the same song. Take Roxanne,' off our first album. It switches back and forth," said Sting. In fact, at times his voice was a cappella.
The Agora concert was really a welcome back. The Police, an A&M group, had played the Pirate's Cove last year. "But only two people came," Sting exaggerated.
But no matter how you look at it, Police has moved fast. It is the Rolling Stone's critic's choice as the best new band of 1979. It was featured in a lead article there this week.
Sting did meet reggae ruler Bob Marley, though. "He's the king," Sting said.
(c) The Plain Dealer
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