2006-08-03 (Stewart Copeland)
| Stewart promotes Everyone Stares in Los Angeles | |
|---|---|
| Date: | 2006-08-03 |
| Location: | Los Angeles, CA, USA - Egyptian Theatre |
| Attendees: | Stewart Copeland |
Stewart Copeland promotes his movie Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out at the Egyptian Theatre in Los Angeles. He's doing a Q&A and the movie itself is screened, followed by URGH! A Music War.
Excerpts from William Kallay's article about this Q&A:
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It's been years since the majority of Police fans have seen the band perform publicly but Copeland has given them a reason to celebrate. "Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out" is perhaps the best gift a Police fan can get. It's raw, very much of its time (a good thing) and a time capsule that has been opened for them to peer into. The film has been shown at Sundance, at the ArcLight Cinemas in Hollywood, and now recently at the American Cinematheque's Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood.
Copeland was on-hand with journalist and producer, Martin Lewis, to discuss the film. Going back to his original Super 8mm films, Copeland has assembled footage that captures an exciting time in rock history. The film shown on the big Egyptian screen in all of its grainy, Super 8 glory, gives fans an onstage and backstage look at the band. Contrary to what the press and sometimes MTV may have shown, the band mates are mostly seen as happy, and often playful. Perhaps because Copeland had the camera off during arguments, we don't get much dread of the band's imminent dissolution until late into the film. Even that is kept to a minimum and one leaves the theatre, oddly enough, with a good feeling.
What the audience does see, and in many humorous moments, are three young guys with talent to boot playing some great music. It's funny to see today that the band was touring the U.S. in a tour bus and staying in local motels. The Police were working their asses off by touring the States, often playing in dives just to get exposure. But because the band had charisma and the chops to both write and perform, it didn't take much time for the band to explode onto the charts. All of this eventual success is captured by Copeland's ever-present camera.
Stewart Copeland and Martin Lewis
Copeland ran down the Egyptian's aisle when Lewis introduced him. Very energetic and grateful that so many fans nearly filled the theatre to capacity, he immediately dispelled the myths. He mentioned that what he captured on film, for the most part, is basically how the band was off and on-stage. Off-stage, Sting, Summers and Copeland were all smiles and loved to joke around with each other. On-stage, the trio performed as tightly as any band could.
The drummer was enthusiastic about the film being selected and shown at Sundance. It appears to have had success, as the film has been shown in a theatrical environment and is being shown this month on Showtime. A DVD is scheduled for release on September 12. Asked why it took so long to see his "home movies," he replied that technology helped him bring it alive again. He spent his own money to transfer the Super 8 footage to digital hard drives, then proceeded to edit in Apple's Final Cut Pro. Much of the Police music, though, he had to use loops of various Police songs he created for this soundtrack. Using the original cuts from the studio albums would've been extremely expensive.
It was apparent in watching Copeland that he's excited about the film. Once the film was done, he sent a copy overnight to Sting at his castle in England. Apparently, Sting doesn't like to see himself anymore on film. Copeland remarked that "back in the day," there wasn't a moment when Sting wouldn't stop in front of a mirror! Finally, Copeland took a copy over to Sting'shome (or mansion) in Malibu. Asked how Sting reacted to the final film, Sting replied, "Yeah, yeah, great."
As a major Police fan myself, I can attest that it was a thrill to listen to Copeland speak about those days of yore. He's an energetic person who seems to appreciate that his band, The Police, has made an indelible impact on music and fans. The interesting thing about him is that he doesn't seem to be one to consistently lean on past glory. Many musicians and bands haven't been able to move past their glory days, and continue to rehash their old act. Rather, Copeland embraces his past with pride, but has done successfully with his other bands, Animal Logic and Oysterhead, as well as having been a film and television composer.
"Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out" is Copeland's affectionate homage to the band he formed long ago. Yet seeing this film, especially with the presence of its creator in the same theatre, is a trip back in time that is as fresh and inviting as when I first heard the "Synchronicity" album on my old Sanyo turntable way back in 1983.
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After a brief intermission, the audience was taken back to 1981 via the film, "URGH! A Music War." This rarely seen film isn't available on DVD, so seeing it on screen was a revelation. The film was directed by Derek Burbidge, who directed many of the The Police's early music videos. It was produced by Michael White ("Monty Python And The Holy Grail"), with "creative consulting" by Ian Copeland and Miles Copeland III. The film highlights performances by a number of bands including The Police, UB40, The Go-Go's, XTC, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, and the Surf Punks, just to name a few. The film was shot in a number of locations around the world, then edited together into a feature.
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See also
This section needs more information.
External links
more Jodi photos on flickr.com
complete William Kallay article with photos
internet article with more photos
References
source: internet, ticket, photos
