| The Police are back on the road this year for the first | | | | the point that Stewart Copeland reportedly broke one |
| time in two decades, in one of the most eagerly | | | | of Sting's ribs during a scuffle). The tumultuous |
| anticipated tours of recent years. | | | | relationship among band members was documented |
| As one of the most definitive post-punk/early | | | | by Copeland who recently compiled personal archived |
| new-wave bands, The Police made their name in the | | | | footage and released it as a film. Everyone Stares: |
| late seventies with their distinctive | | | | The Police Inside and Out premiered at the Sundance |
| punk-meets-pop-meets-reggae sound, while showing | | | | Film Festival in 2006, an event that many credit as the |
| off a carefully contrived peroxide blonde look. The mix | | | | being the main spur behind the band deciding on a |
| served them well as they produced a series of five | | | | come-back tour. |
| successful albums before breaking up in 1984. | | | | Sting's son Joe Sumner and his band, Fiction Plane, are |
| Comprising Sting (a.k.a. Gordon Sumner) on lead vocals | | | | currently supporting The Police on the North American |
| and bass guitar, drummer Stewart Copeland, and lead | | | | leg of their world tour, which is continuing through the |
| guitarist Andy Summers, the trio took advantage of | | | | summer and then again in November. In October the |
| the growing medium of new musical videos and a | | | | band are set to come to the UK for several dates in |
| general public weariness with punk and pop music. | | | | England, Wales and Ireland. |
| They began with a raw, punk-inspired power-pop | | | | Fans can expect a straightforward set with a black |
| sound, but evolved quickly into producing much more | | | | amphitheater design and several video screens |
| complex material, both musically and lyrically, allowing | | | | suspended discretely overhead to show close-ups of |
| reggae and jazz influences to become increasingly | | | | the band members. They are touring with no back-up |
| apparent in their music. | | | | singers or accompanying musicians, special effects or |
| In their seven years, they amassed five U.K. number 1 | | | | gimmicks, which is bound to keep the purists happy. |
| singles, four U.K. number 1 albums, with sales of | | | | The set list is a straight-up, no apologies "best of", but |
| Synchronicity going platinum eight times in the U.S., as | | | | most people attending these gigs will be wanting |
| well as hitting number 1 on both sides of the Atlantic. | | | | precisely that; a trip down memory lane and to hear |
| They are the recipients of two Brit awards and six | | | | some of the best musical tracks ever written and |
| Grammy's. | | | | performed. |
| Discography (original studio albums only): | | | | Forthcoming UK Dates: |
| Outlandos d'Amour - Nov 1978, UK #6 | | | | 6 October - Croke Park, Dublin, Eire |
| Reggatta de Blanc - Oct 1979, UK #1 | | | | 15 October - M.E.N. Arena Manchester |
| Zenyatta Mondatta - Oct 1980, UK #1 | | | | 16 October - M.E.N. Arena Manchester |
| Ghost in the Machine - Oct 1981, UK #1 | | | | 19 October - Cardiff Millennium Stadium, Wales |
| Synchronicity - Jun 1983, UK #1 | | | | 20 October - Wembley Arena, London |
| While the band enjoyed both critical and commercial | | | | Certainly, one of the most eagerly anticipated tours of |
| success, they fought incessantly and often violently (to | | | | recent years. |