My night with Sting
Monday, November 12, 2007
Friday night was incredible...even with the other 15,000 screaming fans there.
Seeing the Police was a celebration of sorts for me. The ticket purchase, at a price I never dreamed possible, was something I took so long in deciding upon that I totally missed out on the July show dates. And when the third show in November was scheduled, I still found myself hemming and hawing.
Then I spent a rainy Sunday afternoon listening to all five of their albums -- on my turntable -- and knew I had to see them one last time. One of my awesome contesting buddies alerted me to the pre-sale for the fourth-and-final November 9th show and I went for it.
If I had known then that the two gentlemen in front of me, who were in the first row of our section, would spend the entire evening STANDING UP, I might have gone for the more cost-effective nosebleed seats. Believe me, I was sorely tempted to whack them in the back of the head with my heavily-armed handbag, but the DH traded seats so I could see the large screens overhead and the back of the drunken girls who were blocking that particular view.
Perhaps it was better that Sting and I couldn't see each other. After all, many years have passed since we first fell in lurve. The 8" x 10" photo in my high school locker let the world know that we were in it for the long haul.
Heck, I even read the Ghost in the Machine by Arthur Koestler so that I could try to figure out what subliminal messages Sting was sending me on their fourth album. Yeah, I had it bad. And no, I didn't understand any of that mankind's-eventual-course-toward-self-destruction stuff.
Friday night at the stadium, dancing in my seat (a skill I mastered during my late teens so as not to upset patrons seated behind me when I'd crimp my hair), I transported back in time more years than I care to admit to a time when everything was so simple, yet complicated at the same time. The lyrics rolled off my tongue and I anticipated Steward Copeland's every beat and tried not to shudder when a spidery Andy Summers' riff sent shivers down my spine.
I was home; my inner 16-year-old and I were reunited once again. For two incredible hours Sting let me know that nothing had changed: we'd still be together 4ever, just like I had scrawled on my math text book.
And now I have the program and t-shirt to prove it. ;)
Seeing the Police was a celebration of sorts for me. The ticket purchase, at a price I never dreamed possible, was something I took so long in deciding upon that I totally missed out on the July show dates. And when the third show in November was scheduled, I still found myself hemming and hawing.
Then I spent a rainy Sunday afternoon listening to all five of their albums -- on my turntable -- and knew I had to see them one last time. One of my awesome contesting buddies alerted me to the pre-sale for the fourth-and-final November 9th show and I went for it.
If I had known then that the two gentlemen in front of me, who were in the first row of our section, would spend the entire evening STANDING UP, I might have gone for the more cost-effective nosebleed seats. Believe me, I was sorely tempted to whack them in the back of the head with my heavily-armed handbag, but the DH traded seats so I could see the large screens overhead and the back of the drunken girls who were blocking that particular view.
Perhaps it was better that Sting and I couldn't see each other. After all, many years have passed since we first fell in lurve. The 8" x 10" photo in my high school locker let the world know that we were in it for the long haul.
Heck, I even read the Ghost in the Machine by Arthur Koestler so that I could try to figure out what subliminal messages Sting was sending me on their fourth album. Yeah, I had it bad. And no, I didn't understand any of that mankind's-eventual-course-toward-self-destruction stuff.
Friday night at the stadium, dancing in my seat (a skill I mastered during my late teens so as not to upset patrons seated behind me when I'd crimp my hair), I transported back in time more years than I care to admit to a time when everything was so simple, yet complicated at the same time. The lyrics rolled off my tongue and I anticipated Steward Copeland's every beat and tried not to shudder when a spidery Andy Summers' riff sent shivers down my spine.
I was home; my inner 16-year-old and I were reunited once again. For two incredible hours Sting let me know that nothing had changed: we'd still be together 4ever, just like I had scrawled on my math text book.
And now I have the program and t-shirt to prove it. ;)
posted by Bonnie Staring at 9:05 AM
9 Comments:
One of our funniest family feuds was caused by a Sting (or maybe Police) concert. My sister used to babysit for uncle's kids a couple times a week when they were really little. My uncle had tickets to one of their concerts and my grandma was scheduled to come watch the kids that night. My grandma got hurt and couldn't come so my uncle tried to call my sister in. She said no because she was studying for finals or something important like that. My uncle got pissed and wrote her a letter firing her from watching his kids because he ended up missing the concert. They decided they needed somebody "more responsible." My sister couldn't believe that she got fired by mail for not being able to work for them at the last second. Neither of them talked to each other for a few years over the whole thing.
The day my sister and uncle started talking again that there was a chance the Police would stop their bickering for long enough to sell some more CDs and t-shirts.
ROXANNE!! I love the Police but did you ever notice listening to their best hits album all the songs sound similar. Send me a message in a Bottle. LOL!!
Your seeing Sting was like me seeing Gwen Stefani and one day Prince.
I am so singing Roxanne in San Fran.
Oh Mike, now I know for sure that Sting wields incredible power! Glad everyone's talking again.
Amy, to see Prince in concert would be a true experience. How on earth he can dance like that in heels I'll never know. ;)
I am so jealous....
But Maureen, you got to hike all over the Grand Canyon! Now that's cool. ;)
Soooo jealous! I am not a concert person, and a couple years ago I had a ticket in my hand to see U2, which I gave up because.... I am not a concert person. But at the time I said to Simon "well, except for The Police, if they had a concert, I'd go. But of course, that's NOT gonna happen.
Then it did, and I couldn't afford it. Sigh.
Sooo jealous. Glad you enjoyed it!
Oh Judi, I almost didn't get there until they added the final show! Thankfully the finance gods were smiling at that moment. ;)
But I'm jealous of your fabulous travels to Australia and New Zealand and all those other far away places you experienced like a native instead of a tourista.
Bonnie
I am so happy you got to go. When I first saw then in July I was in the 300 section, but very close to the stage. I can relate to that man in front of you that did not seat for a minute, that was us too, but likely for us that July, our whole section was on their feet!! we were jumping and yelling like crazy and we did not know each other before that. I have always loved Sting and I just had to see them together. That night in July I mad a decision that I have to see them again and I would do what ever it takes to get tickets up close and personal. So I first got 14 row and then 3rd row through Ticketmaster auction. You don't want to know what I paid for it, but it was not as crazy as for the July's shows. Before the concert we had a pre show party with other Police fun club people that came all over the world to TO. So my whole weekend was about The Police. And let me tell you, that after being that close to Sting, I would do it all over again and would pay what ever it cost!!! I was in the center stage, right in front of Sting, and from 3rd row they see you!! they all new that we were from the fun club and they kept acknowledging us, from Sting sticking his tongue, smile and wink, or whisper I love you too (and when that man looks at you, you die right there!!! LOL) to Andy making crazy faces (like showing his teeth) as he was posing for pictures,and for Stewart - his fun club makes sure to bring their club flag to every show, his funs sign this flag and at the end of this tour it will be presented to Steward, this flag has been and continue to travel around the globe for every show. Stewart knows about the flag and each time he sees that person with the flag during the show, he acknowledges that person, and it is very cool to see. So when you are far away you miss all this interaction with the band, that for me was worth every penny I have paid. I have so many incredible pictures from that night, I can email them to you if you want to add them. And I don't know if you saw their opening act - Fiction plane. They were incredible, I went to see them night after The Police show at El Mocambo and they blew me away. I was right by the stage with Joe Sumners in my face!!! LOL (and he is as hot as his Dad)
OMG Larisa, you are a wild woman! I don't know where you get all your energy from -- must be all those contests you keep on winning. ;) No photos please -- I'll just get even more jealous about your fabulous third-row seats!
Thanks for dropping by!
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