GT arrested by The Police...

And if that's what getting arrested is like, then GT will be committing more crimes in the future. And so will the 20,000+ Toronto fans at the Air Canada Centre.

The post-punk trio brought the past into the present Thursday night playing the canon of songs that made them one of GT's faves in the 80s. The reunion tour hit all the sweet spots: 'Roxanne', 'Every Little Thing', 'So Lonely', 'Walking on the Moon', 'King of Pain', 'Da Do Do Do', 'Every Breath You Take', 'Message in a Bottle', 'Don't Stand so Close to me'. The only song missing was 'Spirits in the Material World'.

The band was in fine fettle for the TO show, dressed in black peg-legged jeans tucked into their Brit-icon Dr.Marten boots. Lithe Sting lead the show as a confident, energetic and generous front man. His vocals have improved since the old days, but if you've followed his solo career, you will have observed his progress. Andy Summers smoked on the guitar with extended solos that were better than I remembered from before, and he showed himself to be a bit of a character at the end of the show, remaining on stage to receive more praise and to take pictures of the TO fans. It was all very self-mocking and charming.

But the star of the show for GT was drummer Stewart Copeland. Mr. Syncopation gave a percussion performance that gladded the heart of this long-time and sometime amateur drummer and percussionista. Behind his drum kit was a percussion suite that consisted of hanging cymbals, timpani and bells. Copeland's ecclectic,reggae-influenced style is what gave that unique sound to tunes such as 'King Of Pain'. He played with gusto and drum sticks came flying off his performance and into the audience like sparks from a bonfire. That man was having fun.

Sting told the audience that The Police always felt at home in Toronto and the appreciative audience was rewarded at the end of the night with two encores. There were plenty of good vibes on stage, despite past troubles between Sting and Copeland.

Most of the audience remained on its feet dancing, but no one in the Air Canada Centre had more fun that night than Stewart Copeland. And that was clear when he grabbed the hands of his band mates and took the big bow centrestage at the end of the night. His was the biggest smile in the house.

© By GiftedTypist.com

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