Photos and words by Audiophileoholic.....
Stewart Copeland, known as the stalwart drummer for the rock band The Police, brought his tour de force drum kit to The Palladium in Carmel Indiana. And it was a force of nature. The show featured musical compositions rearranged or deranged from The Police catalogue plus musical compositions from Mr. Copeland’s original scores.
His musical endeavors include being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, musical scores, video game arrangements, movie soundtracks, and being named one of the top 10 drummers of all-time by Rolling Stone Magazine. Also, he is an accomplished polo player and according to his own account, at one point his team beat Prince Charles of England’s polo team, as told in his biography.
After reading his biography and watching several Police documentaries I wasn’t sure what we would witness during his performance. I was surprised to see that Stewart Copeland came across as playful, frenetic, intelligent, and extremely talented. What I witnessed the night of the show is a man that is a master of his craft, a musician with an ability to create a unique sound with his drum set, a passionate drummer. Entertaining on many levels is how I would describe the evening. And even more surprising was his humble nature so evident throughout the show.
One of the great surprises was when he took over conductor duties and unwavering led the 24 piece orchestra. Then seamlessly would come to the front of the stage to tell a story.
I feel fortunate enough to say I saw The Police on July 5th 2007 as they seemingly ended their final run of their collective career together. Nonetheless this evening brought back memories of that bombastic evening in the Windy City.
Set list:
Set 1:
Set 2:
Encore: