1 post tagged “the police”
Dear Sting,
Congratulations on your upcoming Grammy appearance as part of the reunion of The Police. I'm happy to hear that the three of you will be able to put aside jealousy, bitterness and years of built up resentment in the name of money the high art of pop music.
But as someone who grew up on The Police (and then after the initial benefit-of-the-doubt blue turtles thing proceeded to not only lose all respect for you but come to actively dislike your entire being -- so much so that hearing your voice when shuffling upon great tracks like No Time This Time makes me reach for the "next" button), would you mind heeding just a few pieces of advice?
- Get the hell out of the way and let them play. Look, even in the eighties you were a camera hog. We know you're beautiful, we know you do tantric sex things and we're entirely too familiar with the shape of your neckline. But this isn't about you, so get the hell out of the way and let the world see the other two guys. Kids need to see what a real drummer looks like, and even though you're the self-appointed genius of the crew, you know deep inside it was Andy Summers who gave the band its texture. Give the men some camera time.
- Skip the drama. Please don't do that thing where it's just you on stage where the audience goes "oh, look at that handsome Englishman doing the nice ballad version of that song that used to be on the radio all the time" and then bring the lights up on the rest of the band and start rocking out. Please.
- Don't talk. We know you care about the Brazilian rain forest and global warming and feeding the children, so shut up already. We'd rather hear you sing about hookers.
- No extra musicians, no backup singers. I know you're not afraid of extra musicians, and I know the Grammy producers will want to "fill out the sound." Don't. In case you've forgotten (and something tells me you have), The Police were all about making the most out of the least. One bass, one guitar, one drummer.
This Grammy performance is certainly an advertisement for your rumored summer reunion tour. If you have any shred of respectability left, you'll turn this into a real Police show, and not a solo show with some old mates backing you up. I don't have a lot of hope, but hey -- a boy can dream, right?
Best,
Michael
