Ultimate Set List: The Police
Planning on emptying out your kids’ college fund to see The Police? You might as well. When you started the fund, you had dreams of sending your kid to Harvard. Now you’ve met your child and watched them eat paste and crayons- community college it is. Now that you realize your ass is going to wind up in a public nursing home because your idiot kid is not going to amount to any more than you did, you can spend their college fund free of guilt.
Now that we’ve decided to go, let’s talk about what we want to hear when we’re there.
This is a reunion tour, a 30th Anniversary tour- there had better not be any new songs! I am a fan of Sting’s solo work, but I don’t want to hear “Fragile.†Besides, if we let Sting play a solo set, we will wind up having to listen to Stewart play the theme from The Equalizer. At $250 a pop, I don’t think I should have to suffer through that. Let’s stick to the hits with a curveball thrown in here and there to make things interesting. Here’s my my proposed set list. I wonder how closely it resembles the show they played in Vancouver…
1. Roxanne: Can they really open with anything else?
2. Walking on the Moon: Two big hits up front
3. Synchronicity I: I want to watch Stewart Copeland drum this song.
4. Message in a Bottle: This is for everyone who went for a beer during “Synchronicity I.â€
5. Synchronicity II: I want to hear Sting sing, “It’s a humiliating kick in the crotch!â€
6. Spirits in the Material World: This is for everyone who went for a beer during “Synchronicity II.â€
7. Walking on the Moon
8. So Lonely: An deeper cut, one not everyone will see coming from a mile away.
9. Invisible Sun
10. Can’t Stand Losing You
11. Tea in the Sahara
12. Don’t Stand So Close to Me
13. De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da: I could live without it, but someone will want to hear it.
14. When The World is Running Down…
15. Bring on the Night: A couple songs that will allow these guys to do a little jamming.
16. Demolition Man: The Police don’t have to many straight-up rockers. This is a good one as we get close to the end of the main set.
17. Wrapped Around Your Fingers: A big hit to end the main set and send the band off stage with everyone on their feet.
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18. Every Little Thing She Does is Magic: Great way to bring them all back to their feet, coming back from the encore.
19. Murder By Numbers: Every encore has one song that perplexes people just a little bit and makes them wonder if something big is going to be left out.
20. Every Breath You Take: The song stalkers and lovers have been waiting for all night.
21. King of Pain: Thank you, good night!
I know I don’t get big points for obscurity or originality, but no one could actually hate that set unless you just don’t like The Police. You’ve heard mine, now let’s hear yours!
Filed under: Tags: Sting, The Police, Ultimate Set List
I like the Police well enough, but “De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da” makes me want to poke myself in the eardrums with a sharp stick.
The rest of it’s not too shabby. I have passed this tour up, being put off by the ticket prices — and since my kid’s actually in college, well, there’s the disposable income for you.
I guess there’s always that rumored E Street tour to look forward to…
You’re not wrong about “De Doo Do Do,” but there’s one in every crowd. Someone will want to hear it. That someone wouldn’t be me, but…
As much as I’d like to see it, I am just not in a position in my life to pay that much for a show. I also have an intermittent inner-cheapness that occasionally flares up. I’m not sure I’d pay it if I had the money. I’ll buy the DVD.
If Bruce comes south, I’m going. Period. He didn’t on Seeger, and I foolishly missed Rising. Not sure if he came around on D&D, but I will one day see a solo acoustic Bruce show. Some day I will hear “Across the Border” solo acoustic and there will be wailing and gnashing teeth.
This is why you don’t get rid of your vinyl!! In my record collection, I have five gems put out by this group. My second wife is a big Sting fan, but will be blown away by the original when we attend the St. Paul concert.
I have one out of college, and one starting next year (LSU). Fortunately, I can afford to pay top dollar to see a concert I thought would never happen. Baton Rouge is where I saw The Police on the Syncronicity Tour.
In no particular order…I’m not that anal… but pretty much chronologically, here is my set list:
1. Can’t Stand Losing You - “you’ll be sorry when I’m dead, and all this guilt will be on your head”. Simple but effective.
2. Next To You
3. So Lonely - The early songs are good candidates for a bit of a jam session. This is one that be stretched out without being painful.
4. Roxanne - To me, this is comparable to Margaritaville. I am a huge Buffett fan, but the best version of Roxanne was done by Eddie Murphy. It put The Police on the map, you gotta do it, but it is not one of their best songs.
5. Message In A Bottle - A great song.
6. Walking On The Moon - A fun song.
7 / 8. Don’t Stand So Close To Me - Great song, should be followed by Every Breath You Take…they are one in the same.
9 / 10. Driven To Tears / When The World Is Running Down - Again, back to back.
11. Voices Inside My Head - Stewart Copeland’s best drum solo…listen to it really loud…the snare drum just jumps out at you.
12. Bombs Away - By far, Andy’s best guitar solo…again, best listened to cranked up…
13. De Do…OK, ya gotta play it. This is my bathroom / beer break.
14. Shadows In The Rain - Both versions are good, but the original is better.
15. Spirits In The Material World - Sets the tone for Ghost…
16. Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic - Good song, but how many times has Sting used the “It’s a big enough umbrella” line??
17. Invisible Sun - Great song.
18. Demolition Man - Ditto…
19. Rehumanize Yourself - I dare Sting to rhyme runt & cunt in concert…
20 / 21. Synchonicity I & II gotta do them both…
22. Walking In your Footsteps - Very good song, but Sting can’t hit those notes any more…
23. Wrapped Around Your Finger - Great song.
24. King Of Pain - Another great jam song.
Probably two or three too many songs, but this is my ultimate set list. I can’t wait until July 3.