The Hazel Project

Here’s today’s vibe. Today feels like a tug of war between rain and sun. We might get both. I’m listening to Sigur Ros’s ( ) album as I write this. I wanted to get something down before heading to the valley to do my home health gig.

Last night I watched the Grammy’s in FF on a friend’s Tivo. The Police reunion was the only thing I watched in real time (real recorded time that is.) Okay okay, that and Scarlett Johansen’s presentation.

WLECOME TO MY POLICE BACKSTORY. TANGENT #2
When I was 16 my friend Poetdoc and I had obtained tickets to The Police’s Synchronicity tour at the Gulfport, MS colliseum in 1984. Yep the same gulfport that was destroyed by Katrina. Tickets in hand, almost in disbelief they were stopping in Mississippi at all, we were ecstatic for the chance to get to see the Police at their height (however the band’s fracturing already in full swing). One glitch. It was a Friday night, during football season. We were obligated to play at a home football game and some sort of fall band festival the next day, I think. Poetdoc was Drum captain at the time and we were threatened to receive failing grades in BAND if we went to the concert. NOT algebra, or English Lit or heaven forbid even Spanish, but BAND. We might’ve been threatened to be dismissed from band for the semester. To me it was like having a hand lobbed off if you got caught to listening to Exit Stage Left in church. Both of us had hopes of college scholarships associated with music programs. So we bought the threat of a F on a transcript being the equivalent of sending raw sewage in lieu of a college application for music school.

So we sold the tickets to someone else. A guy named Patrick, A BD player in band who actually decided to take the F. He ended up quitting band and playing drums for the school show choir.

WELCOME TO POP MUISC HISTORY AS I REMEMBER IT.
AND of course shortly after the tour we heard the rumours that the band were having problems. Sting’s solo effort “the Dream of the Blue Turtles generated monstrous acclaim and hits. Andy was making New Age Jazz music. Stewart broke his leg which messed up recording the remake of “don’t stand so close to me” for the greatest hits album. Magazine articles described that the two argued over what drum machine to use for the track; Stewart’s Linn Drum or Sting’s Oberheim DMX. Pathetic and funny at the same time. When the video was released for the tune, poetdoc and I knew it was done. We had missed our chance. The video of DSSCTM said it all. Just Sting singing with the other two spinning around on these Star Trek teleporter hologram thingies.
What a shame.

THE R&R HALL OF FAME REUNION
Sting looked incensed that he had to be there. I forget what they played, “Msg in a bottle?” I just remember Stewart’s kit was a green sparkle, and he broke the snare head. With no Backup! I wonder if that drumtech is still alive?

THE GRAMMY”S
I read reviews where the Police looked old. Yeah, well, they’re in their 50’s. Gravity tends to wear on human form ya’know. I thought they looked like the Police. Period. And I thought they played more like a band than at the Hall of fame show. IT just goes to show ANYTHING can happen as long as gravity hasn’t pulled you into the grave.
I’m glad they finally recognized that.

Stewart Copeland is a MONSTROUS drummer, and displayed how much he loved playing with the band. He held back from overplaying and yet it was enough, and still sounded full. Andy looked like Andy. Sting looked happy, for once. Like he wanted to be there instead of being held at gunpoint. All of which played into a powerful reunion performance of “Roxanne”.

So if they actually tour I’ll be that cat who spends $85 on a ticket to see them play through the songs I missed live in 1984. I’ll send Garry Cook my ticket stub.

Stephen A. Thomas

This entry was posted on Monday, February 19th, 2007 at 1:40 pm and is filed under on the path, posts & stories . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.