Synchronicity: 1983/84

How to spread a little happiness - by Sting and Co...

Police in a triumph.

The Police were greeted with an ecstatic welcome as they made a return Birmingham stage for the first time in two years.

The heroic trio took to the stage after a strong set by Passionate Friends a band who showed none of the expected fears at having to support one of the biggest bands in the world.

The Police launched Straight into Synchronicity I' followed, logically by 'Synchronicity II'. Sting was dynamic, bouncing around like the proverbial rubber ball, and playing bass in his own epic style.

Andy Summers is so subdued in comparison. He stands gently stroking from his guitar the atmospheric his guitar the atmospheric harmonics that constitute the integral part of the Police sound.

The perfect acoustics helped to give Sting's songs an added quality, and probably only 'Message in a Bottle' suffered live.

However, all the other hits - particularly 'Every Breath', 'Invisible Sun' and 'Don't Stand So Close' - were excellently performed, and with loads more numbers in their set the Police gave an excellent all-round show.

Sting stole the show. Before the gig I had doubts about his ability as a live singer, but in future I will have no such doubts, for he gave a powerful and emotional vocal performance. Add to that Stewart Copeland's unbelievable drumming prowess, and Andy Summers atmospheric guitar, and you have a hit formula.

The show was a technically perfect one, and with a superb light show to back them up, the Police had the whole audience completely wrapped around fingers.

With the house lights on the audience filed out to a recording of Stings 'Spread a little happiness". Between the three of them they had done just that.

(c) The Atherstone News & Herald by Greg Kilminster

Professional but unspectacular...

This supergroup are getting too big for their own good. Four years after their first hit, they are so popular that they are forced to perform in giant cattle markets like the NEC.

Yet the band still play a refreshingly acute brand of pop better suited to more intimate surroundings.

Not that it's The Police's fault they are so popular. They would only be less so if they wrote predictable songs and let's hope they don't do that.

Last night Sting and Co rattled through all their hits in professional but unspectacular style. Stuart Copeland was as manic as ever on the drums, and guitarist Andy Summers was his usual indifferent-looking self.

Only sheriff Sting arrested the attention with some classy bass playing and that distinctive, throaty voice.

The only upsetting thing about the band's performance was their tendency to rearrange songs, sometimes almost beyond recognition.

For instance 'Roxanne' - a song the audience waited the best part of the show for - degenerated into a lengthy wail that you would not hear on the recorded version.

It is easy to understand the band being bored with playing the same old songs the same old way, but why inflict that on their fans?

They paid to hear the unexpurgated versions and they should have got them.

(c) Coventry Evening Telegraph by Simon Bradshaw

Return of superstars...

World-beating rock group The Police roared into Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre last night to an ecstatic reception from a sell-out audience.

Although at times the blond trio fronted by the heart-throb Sting showed the strains of an almost permanent life on the road, they still had their fans dancing in the aisles.

As Sting, who was suffering from a slight cold, remarked, the group were in better shape than when they last visited the NEC. Two years ago he had a broken arm and guitarist Andy Summers was ill with a kidney problem.

Led by Sting's bouncing, attention-grabbing style, the threesome, backed by three girl singers, led the adoring, appreciative fans through a succession of hits, from the recent singles 'Wrapped Around Your Finger' and 'Every Breath You Take' to older favourites like 'So Lonely' and 'Don't Stand So Close To Me'.

Tonight, the spectacular light show that set the scene for The Police's haunting music so well, will be in action again

(c) Birmingham Evening Mail