USA: British trio The Police announce world tour after reuniting at The Grammys

Reunited rock trio the Police said on Monday (February 12) they would launch a world tour in May, more than 20 years after frontman Sting angered his bandmates by leaving for a successful solo career. Sting, 55, joked during a news conference that he was "certifiably insane" to resurrect the band for a tour that will begin in North America and take in Europe, South America, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Long resistant to the idea of a reunion with his estranged bandmates, guitarist Andy Summers, 64, and drummer Stewart Copeland, 54, Sting said he woke up one day about three months ago and decided to call them up and suggest a tour. The Police ended their seven-year run following a 1984 world tour for the album "Synchronicity," which included the Grammy-winning song of the year "Every Breath You Take." Sting, the group's primary songwriter, who once described the Police as "a marriage of convenience," wanted more creative freedom. Summers and Copeland thought the group should carry on, even though tension within the band often led to fist fights. During a news conference and mini-concert at the Whisky A Go Go nightclub, the remarkably youthful looking trio were all smiles. After performing "Message In A Bottle," Sting earnestly took to the microphone seemingly addressing the audience, saying "I'd just like to introduce the band." He then turned to his bandmates and said "Andy, this is Stewart." Stewart then said to Summers, "Oh, yeah, I remember you." "So okay, we're going to come clean, or actually, we're going to go on tour," said Sting. They dodged questions about whether they would record any new material, though Sting referred to "unfinished business." As for the tour, which kicks off in Vancouver, British Columbia, on May 28, Sting said it will be "simple but spectacular," eschewing backup singers, additional musicians and his solo tunes. Among the tunes they performed at the news conference were "Message in a Bottle," "Can't Stand Losing You" and "Roxanne," the breakthrough hit they dusted off the night before when they opened the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. Afterwards, some of the select audience were ecstatic about the private concert they had been lucky to have witnessed. "It was just like a complete surprise, last minute, Thursday night I find out I'm coming to L.A. to see my favourite band ever playing in the flesh and I was just -- I was right at the stage and I thought maybe in a stadium some day with 50,000 people but just to see them in a little club just like it was 1977 -'78 and they're first coming out -- that was unreal," said Nicole Pellegrini of Philadelphia, holding a purse adorned with decals of her favourite band. Another woman gushed like a teenager. "It was out of this world. Just seeing the three of them on one stage and re-living that energy -- I've been listening to their music for thirty years and it's like the soundtrack of my life." aid Shelley Smyers.

ITN Source | February 13, 2007

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