Our good friend Sal Nunziato (formerly of NYCD, now of the Huffington Post) was at the same Squeeze show the PowerPop contingent attended last Friday and files this report:
I asked 100 people who they hated more, Ted Bundy or Sting. An overwhelming 94 people said they hated Sting more. (OK, I really didn't do that.) But after seeing Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford, more commonly known as Squeeze, put on one of the greatest shows of the year on Friday night at NYC's Beacon Theatre, the same night Mr. "Stick-Up-His-Butt" was doing his "thing" with "his" band a few blocks south for more than twice the price with less than half the joy at NYC's Madison Square Garden, I couldn't help but think, "It really is very easy to dislike Sting."
I also can't help but think as I write this, "You didn't even go to The Police concert. How do you know it was less than half as good as the Squeeze show?" Well, I asked 100 people if they thought I would know that the Police concert was less than half as good as the Squeeze show even if I didn't attend the show, and an overwhelming 97 said, yes I would. (OK, also not true.)
It gets better from there, so get thee over to Arianna's place and read the rest of it.
At the very least, I think we've found a potential soulmate for a certain Canadian radio personality we know...
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6 comments:
"It really is very easy to dislike Sting."
Yup. Saw him at Jones Beach a couple of years ago and was bored to tears.
I posted the following at HuffPo:
You're leaving out the main reason to avoid seeing The Police live: They have never, ever been a great live band because they insist on stretching out so many songs with boring, interminable call-and-response vamps that add nothing to the song. This was fine in their early days when they only had one album's worth of material to spread out over an entire night, but after five great albums, it's pointless.
Just for balance, though, the main reason to see The Police in concert is because Stewart Copeland is awesome. I wonder if he still has the same message to Sting on his rack toms...
I agree. Sting produced much better material in the Police days than solo (aside from some decent songs on Blue Turtles). I've always thought that with the distinct inputs of Sting, Summers, and Copeland, the Police exemplified the emergent properties achievable in band songwriting/production versus solo work.
BTW, I'm new here, been lurking for a bit. I really like the blog (although I'm on the young side [b1967] to remember the early power pop days; it's great to explore "new" vintage music). I have a little blog on music (and other stuff) over at onsongs.blogspot.com if you'll indulge a blogwhore (recent posts on Pat Benatar, Psychedelic Furs, William Gibson, and a rant on out of print music).
slig --
Glad you enjoy our efforts. I'll make it a point to check out your place...
Yer mad tantric skillz should best be left in the boudoir, Sting.
And the Squeeze show really surprised me. Pleasantly.
Anybody else here see Glenn Tilbrook: One for the Road, The Story of One Man, Two Guitars, and an RV? Regardless, can you ever in your wildestdreams imagine that Sting has even one-hundredth the charm and sweetness that this man shows to his audiences?
Nope. Didn't think so.
By the way I'm totally envious of all you who saw that show. They seem to be skipping the Valley of the Sun, not that I can blame them.
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