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