Setlist

01	Message In A Bottle
01	Walking On The Moon
02	Demolition Man
03	Voices Inside My Head
04	When The World Is Running Down
05	Don't Stand So Close To Me
06	Driven To Tears
07	Hole In My Life
08	Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
09	Wrapped Around Your Finger
10	De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da
11	Invisible Sun
12	Can't Stand Losing You
13	Roxanne
14	King Of Pain
15	So Lonely
16	Every Breath You Take
17	Next To You

The Police are a reunion worth waiting for...

Sting Battles Cough, Wins...

Like a gold soldier and a true professional, Sting went on stage Thursday night in Ottawa, Canada, and won one for the Gipper.

It was an auspicious premiere for the last leg of the Police's grand reunion tour, which started in Ottawa and goes back through America and Europe before finishing up in New York on Aug. 3 and 4.

What to do when the lead singer of the world's most successful rock band (sorry, Stones) has what everyone has had for the last six weeks -- the hundred-day cough?

Try herbal teas, hot packs, eucalyptus creams, yoga, meditation. Maybe a cheeseburger would have helped, I don't know.

Maybe it was Elvis Costello and the Imposters' rockin' set at the ScotiaBank arena (formerly the Corel Center) that pumped Sting up. But by the time Costello was pounding through a triumphant reverie of '(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding', the Stingster was up and ready to go.

Of course, he was also wearing a skimpy T-shirt full of holes when I'll bet a warm sweater would have been preferred.

But there he was, as a new video played behind 'Voices in My Head', and suddenly he, Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers launched into the new opening, 'Bring on the Night', that brought cheers. The audience never sat down after that.

The group has made some changes for this last leg, adding 'Bring on the Night', 'Demolition Man' and 'Hole in My Life' to the set. (My old favorite, 'Truth Hits Everyone', has been dropped!) 'Message in a Bottle' has been moved to the middle of the show, a smart idea since it further catalyzes the audience at just the right moment.

The Police show remains one of the most satisfying rock concert experiences I can remember. Three guys produce these amazing sounds. There is no augmentation. They just do it. No one else is playing the same instrument hidden in the background. It's all very real, even the mistakes, and the audience responds with a roar and waves of "Ee-oh." It makes you think rock is still alive.

Ottawa is just the beginning of this new wave as The Police head into places they haven't been for a long time: Buffalo, Columbus, Kansas City. No one will be disappointed. Andy Summers' guitar work remains intricate, skilled and supple as ever. He and Sting get into some ferocious, stunning jams. Stewart Copeland does stuff with cymbals, bells and baubles, not to mention drums, that cannot be reproduced by mere mortals.

Of course, it's pretty cool to have Costello as the opening act on this round. Ridding himself of 'Alison' as encore (it's in the middle of the pack), Costello is doing a greatest hits set mixing in a few songs from his new, mostly unattainable album, 'Momofoku'. There's a great one in there called 'My Three Songs', about his older son, Matthew, and twin toddlers Dexter and Frank. It's lovely. And we also got 'Accidents Will Happen', 'Radio Radio', 'Watching the Detectives', 'Pump It Up' and 'Everyday I Write the Book', all beautifully executed.

There are rumors that Sting and Costello will perform together as the tour proceeds - 'Shipbuilding' would be nice, from Costello; 'Canary in a Coal Mine' from the Police side. I'm just sayin'.

So hopefully everyone will get over their ailments - even Costello sounded like he needed a zinc drop - even though towns like Ottawa and Buffalo are no help. It was cold up there! At least the artists don't have to fly on Continental from Newark (the only non stop flight to Canada's capital city) on a small narrow plane that could have doubled as an MRI. What is it with Continental at Newark? At 8 a.m., the security line is pandemonium. Ah, but that's another story. Someone should call ... the Police!

© Fox News by Roger Friedman

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