Synchronicity: 1983/84

The Police pursue a rest - after this tour...

After knocking out the competition for the title of world's top pop group last year, the Police are calling it quits - at least for a year or so. But before taking a much-deserved break, the band is giving feverish fans in 10 USA cities a last chance to catch its record-breaking 'Synchronicity' tour.

On the third leg of a tour that began last summer and drew three of the top-five grossing concert audiences - including the historic sell-out of New York's Shea Stadium in August the trio is hitting some of the smaller cities passed by last year. And most of the dates are sell-outs. The 18,000 seats for last night's show at the Atlantic City Convention Center were sold out in about six hours - the Police are the biggest rock act to play here since the Beatles 20 years ago.

The nearly two-hour show was outstanding as the band, with three back-up singers, whipped through seven year's worth of songs. The songs were not mere carbon copies of their recorded material; each one was vigorous and spirited. Sting preened on-stage and led audience sing-alongs with the charged fans, half of whom stood in their seats the entire show. After an hour, the band took its traditional tea break; which was shown on a giant screen to fans.

Says Debbie Baggaley, 18, of Trenton, N.J., who has seen them three times: ''I would see them every night of the week if I could.''With more than 5 million copies sold in the USA, four top-20 singles ('Wrapped Around Your Finger' is moving up the charts at No.18) and five Grammy nominations, including best album, 'Synchronicity' is by far the band's most successful LP. Its acclaim has been overshadowed only by that of Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'.

How will the trio spend the year of separation?

For his part, Sting, 32, the group's sexy, prolific bassist-songwriter, plans to act in yet another film, his sixth. He's already in the million sci-fi flick, Dune, due out in the fall, and is expected to play Pontius Pilate in Martin Scorsese's ''The Last Temptation Of Christ''; if it finds backers. Guitarist Andy Summers, 40, plans to do a film, ''Goose Foot'', and release an LP with British rocker Robert Fripp. As for the group's 31-year-old founder and only American, drummer Stewart Copeland's plans are less clear. But after his well-received score for Francis Ford Coppola's ''Rumble Fish'' chances are he'll keep a hand in films as well.

Rumours of an impending break-up have dogged the group for years, and speculation is heating up again. Says Wayne Isaak, a publicist for their record label, A&M, ''Anything could happen, but they certainly aren't planning (on breaking up) now.

(c) USA Today by Miles White

The Police create frenzy...

They paid as much as $100 a seat and nobody sat down.

The Police kept a sell-out crowd on their feet-most of them standing on their chairs from the moment the British rock trio took the Convention Hall stage last night until their second encore ended.

Though few of the nearly 18,000 fans could be old enough to remember the Beatles' at the historic arena, almost 20 years ago, the legendary Beatlemania energy level was nearly met.

The Police fans didn't swoon or faint, but they sang, danced and shouted. A few supercharged dancers bopped with such frenzy they must have been plugged into the band's multi-thousand watt electrical system.

"Good evening, nice to be here," shout- ed Sting, the singer and bassist. With styled blonde hair and a cute curl of a smile, he's the trio's unabashed frontman.

Behind him, guitar player Andy Summers rang out the echoing cords that weave the music together. Stuart Copeland, banging an endless set of drums, provided the bottom line.

The group began just before 9pm with 'Synchronicity', the title of their most recent record.

In a 90-minute set, they got to just about everything, lacing the show with lasers, a smoke machine and an occasional quip from Sting.

"Is there any one here from New Jersey?," he asked in a droll English accent. He got a huge yell in response.

"Is there anyone here from Atlantic City?" he added, receiving a reply nearly as strong.

"Hmmm," the singer observed. "People DO live here."

For three musicians, aided only by three female singers, the Police make a remarkable amount of noise. And most of it makes them sound tight and talented.

Perhaps the only thing not sounding completely in their favour was the giant hall itself. The sound was muddy at first, and never remarkable.

But Sting's shrill voice cut through fine. And a giant colour screen above the stage gave everyone a front-row seat.

The show reached its stride quickly, during 'Message in a Bottle'. Ecstatic fans whirled like dervishes in an impromptu American Bandstand.

It was clear Sting was the evening's heartthrob, though many of his admirers must have been even younger than the flirtatious teacher's pet he described in 'Don't Stand So Close to Me'. The song is the former school teacher's account of an affair with a student.

Many fans seemed to know every word.

One woman was in tears, though her eyes may have been watering not in devotion for Sting, but from a long walk in the bitter cold. All available parking for blocks around the hall was taken, even at $5 a pop.

Most of the show was music, though Sting took time to make a political pronouncement or two.

During 'Spirits in the Material World', he sang the line: "Our so-called leaders speak," adding under his breath, "What a ------ joke."

The singer dedicated 'Invisible Sun' to Belfast in Northern Ireland. As the band played, a film of war-torn Ulster streets was shown.

Next was 'King of Pain', Sting's lament about his recent divorce. Though the subject was sombre, the music was among the evening's liveliest, as the band added a bounce missing from the recorded version.

They ended their regular set with 'Roxanne', their first U.S. hit.

Television cameras followed them backstage as they prepared for an encore. But they never stopped performing, even while catching their breath.

As the camera watched, Summers made a playful mess of goodies laid out for an after-show reception.

Sting, not to be outdone, pulled the tablecloth out from under him with a W.C. Fields-style yank.

Back on stage, they finished the night with 'I Can't Stand Losin' You' and 'So Lonely'.

(c) Asbury Park Press by Bob McHugh