March 26, 1979 review: The Police at Harvey and Corky's Stage One

 


Another legendary club date.

March 26, 1979 concert review

“Police” No Cop-Out

On Rock Rhythms

          Give a group a name like The Police and there’s no end of law-enforcement metaphors. For their Buffalo debut at Harvey and Corky’s Stage One Sunday night, A&M Records even arranged to give the British band a sheriff’s escort.

          Thank goodness the metaphors did not extend to their stage act. The three-man aggregation did not resemble constables at all. In their black leather jackets and jeans, they could have passed for purse snatchers on probation.

          As hard-rock trios go, The Police packed an exceptionally big arsenal of rhythms. And they were not afraid to use them. For a tune like “So Lonely” from their “Outlandos d’Amour” album, they slipped from a funky reggae to screaming rock and back to reggae again.

          Their command of dynamics made their rhythms rock all the harder. They brandished it best as they closed their set with their single, “Roxanne.”

          First came the rhythm guitar, all by itself and slightly distorted in midrange. Then the bass and drums laid down a triphammer syncopation. The vocal cried plaintively around it until a deluge of sound and harmony washing over it in the chorus.

          Leading the assault was the tall, crew-cut bassist, who goes by the name of Sting. An actor in the Who’s “Quadrophenia” movie, he proved himself with high-revving play and an appropriately raw tenor. He led the crowd in a call-and-answer to finish off “Roxanne.”

          After running through most of the songs on their album, The Police apparently did not have any ammunition left when it came time for an encore after the first of their two sold-out shows. They reprised “Can’t Stand Losing You,” which was how they began an hour earlier.

          Opening were The Romantics, a young four-man group from Detroit all turned out in black.

          Artists for underground Bomp Records, they put out a driving sound that was reminiscent of the early ‘60s Merseybeat back in the days when the Beatles were still down in the Cavern Club, complete with the single guitar line threaded into the rhythm, just like George Harrison’s.           They slammed their rosy-cheeked sentiments home one after another with scarcely a stop for breath.

* * * * *

IN THE PHOTO: The Police in their dressing room before a show in the Bottom Line in New York City in early April 1979. Photo by Mark Weiss.

* * * * *

FOOTNOTE: Wikipedia notes that The Police's 1979 North American tour was "grueling" and that they "drove themselves and their equipment around the country in a Ford Econoline van."

Here's what setlist.fm says they played at Stage One:

Can't Stand Losing You

Truth Hits Everybody

So Lonely

Fall Out

Born in the '50s

Hole in My Life

Be My Girl Sally

Peanuts

Roxanne

Landlord

Next to You

(encore)

Can't Stand Losing You

This wasn’t the only time they replayed “Can’t Stand Losing You” for an encore on this tour. According to setlist.fm, that was standard procedure.

Though "What I Like About You" was a big single for the Romantics, they turned out to be more than a one-hit wonder. They had an even bigger breakthrough with "Talking in Your Sleep" in 1983-84. Sadly, their management ripped them off and they got bogged down in lawsuits.

Even so, three of the four original members are still with the group, but alas, their website reports that "due to an unforeseen medical situation, The Romantics are unfortunately unable to perform on the upcoming Totally Tubular Tour this summer." Wang Chung is taking their place. Other acts on that tour include Thomas Dolby, Men Without Hats and Bow Wow Wow.

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