Police delivers generous dose of superb rock...
A concert by The Police is a safe bet, guaranteed not to let an audience go away hungry.
The performance by this power-pop trio at William and Mary Hall Wednesday night gave the sell-out audience a feast of some of the finest and most creative music in the pop world today. It was in a class above the music of many of the droning, overly-simplistic New Wave and screeching heavy metal outfits cluttering the rock circuit today.
This group gives the impression that the rock idiom just happens to be the means chosen to convey the artists' work. Unlike other rock groups, for in- stance those working in the garage band tradition, loyalty to rock itself seems to be secondary to the art. In this area, the group is comparable to Jethro Tull and the defunct Emerson, Lake & Palmer.
The audience was a testament to the group's credibility. There was an unusually large age span in the crowd, and outrageous costumes weren't as evident as at some of the trendier rock shows.
Yet, it was obvious, particularly with lead singer/bassist/front man Sting, that sex appeal and charisma have given this group an edge over others in marketing its music.
The group played a set that drew heavily from the popular 'Synchronicity' album and which reflected the trio's knack for composition and arrangement as well as musicianship. The songs were well-crafted, each consisting of distinctive sections linked creatively with clever transitions and sometimes incorporating sudden changes in time signatures.
A reggae influence was particularly noticeable on 'One World' from the 'Ghost In the Machine' album. This song, with its message of love and peace, was about as pure an example of reggae as can be found in a pop-rock group.
Other highlights of the set included 'Walking In Your Footsteps', 'Every Breath You Take' and 'Wrapped Around Your Finger'. The sound was unusually good, a result of the building's acoustics and a fine sound system. The lighting was quite effective, and special effects were tasteful and, at least for a rock concert, not very flamboyant. A smoke machine often created a moor-like haze on the stage, and bright lights beamed briefly into the audience a few times.
Sting's voice seemed to be in fine form, and he played some very pleasing bass lines, a refreshing change from the monotonous bass patterns played in many current groups. As usual, Stewart Copeland's drumming gave the music a firm underpinning with unusual beats played with clocklike precision and highlighted with almost melodic tonal colourings. Guitarist Andy Summers added a fullness to the sound that was almost unbelievable for a trio.
Augmenting the group was a female vocal chorus.
The Police is the type of group that often outdoes any warmup act that can be paired with it. Fortunately, Re-Flex was worthy of warmup billing. This four-man outfit was quite impressive with a set that featured some music from its album 'The Politics Of Dancing'.
One crowd-pleaser from the set was the album's title track, which also is a hit single. It was a very electronic performance. Roland Vaughan Kerridge played electronic drums, at one point using a rhythm machine to set the beat while he played a second part on his kit.
Keyboardist Paul Fishman sometimes set up a riff on his synthesizer with a simple flick of a switch, leaving him free to roam about the stage while the music played, not necessarily a test of virtuosity but a good example of harnessing new technology to produce some pleasing music.
Except for the packed-like-sardines atmosphere of the festival seating event, there was hardly a blemish in the performance.
(c) The Daily Press by Larry Rhodes
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