2008-01-26

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2008-01-26
a photo from this concert - copyright Karl Stanton
a photo from this concert - copyright Karl Stanton
another poster for this concert - provided by Miquel
a huge billboard poster for this concert
Performance summary
Artist performing:	The Police
Tour:	2007-2008 Reunion Tour
Venue:	Melbourne Cricket Ground
Location:	Melbourne, Australia
Support acts:	Fiction Plane
Ticket prices:	TICKET PRICES

On 2008-01-26, The Police performed at Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia.

Describing the event, Patrick Donovan and Andrew Murfett of the Brisbane Times wrote,

The crowd for their first show here in 24 years was well below the 65,000 capacity - perhaps their fans want their last Australian show at the RAS Showgrounds to remain in their memories - which was a shame. The evening had everything going for it: a balmy Australia Day, an immaculate production, including clear and loud sound and giant screens showing the three players at work, and the sci-fi graphics from the Ghost in the Machine album. And the band thrives on energetic call-and-response participation from the crowd, particularly to provide the layered harmonies that singer Sting can't deliver alone on stage.

Still, it is a credit to The Police that as a three-piece they can produce a much fuller sound than most eight-pieces. The powerful rhythm section of drummer Stewart Copeland, resembling Skeletor in unfashionable ensemble of headband, spectacles, gloves and Lycra top, and Sting, an unlikely looking punk these days with a healthy tan, peroxided hair, faux-distressed tight black top and toy police badge, drives the songs, providing space for Andy Summers' evocative guitar playing.

None of their old tension was apparent. The closest they came to a fight was a disagreement over what to do with a giant grasshopper that invaded the stage. The show's momentum suffered from an unbalanced program, with driving songs such as I Can't Stand Losing You and So Lonely performed too late in the set. The band didn't help matters by fluffing a chorus on So Lonely just as the crowd threatened to ignite. Sting was even forced to plead for more crowd participation. The hits came thick and fast late in the show, with the crowd bopping along to King Of Pain and Every Breath You Take. But when they padded out their biggest hit, Roxanne, you wondered how much more impact the show would have had if they had just pumped out faithful versions of the hits. They certainly have enough of them.[1]

Setlist

1. Message in a Bottle
2. Synchronicity II
3. Walking On The Moon
4. Voices Inside My Head
5. When The World Is Running Down
6. Don't Stand So Close To Me
7. Driven To Tears
8. Hole In My Life
9. Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
10. Wrapped Around Your Finger
11. De Do Do Do De Da Da Da
12. Invisible Sun
13. Walking In Your Footsteps
14. Can't Stand Losing You
15. Roxanne
16. King Of Pain
17. So Lonely
18. Every Breath You Take
19. Next To You

Recording information

This section needs more information. Please note if an official or unofficial recording, or recording(s), is known to exist of this performance.

Trivia

This section needs more information. Please include any unique or interesting facts about this performance: songs missing from setlist, guest appearances, rare performance of song, etc.

See also

• 2007-2008 Reunion Tour
• Photos courtesy laraclifford:

External links

• The Police live at the MCG 26/01/08 photoset
• The Police, Melbourne Cricket Ground photoset
• Karl Stanton's pictures on flickr

References

• "ThePolice.com virtual ticket." ThePolice.com. UltraStar Entertainment LLC. 10 Jun 2008. <http://www.thepolice.com/virtualticket/index.php?v=dsl&id=90>
• photos, posters

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