good times.....

Ah, I remember the Police. I was in university up in Austin when Roxanne came out. I am a huge Golden Earring fan, and was miffed for awhile, because their new album had a song by the same name on it. The Police rubbed off on me though, with time. I was, after all, a punk. One cannot ignore the truly different, and well, frankly, they were tremendous musicians, in a time when half the bands could barely play their instruments. My ears are discerning, even if the heart may want to get out there and slam dance sometimes (for you youngsters, that was what we did LONG before mosh pits existed.)

Ironically, I didn't see the Police in concert til much later in their career, before the break-up. They played the Frank Erwin Centre in Austin sometime in the early '80's, and while it was a good gig, I don't really like those big gigs. Might as well rent a video and be comfortable at home. Herein is my dilemma. They're back. And I would love to say I am going, but I haven't made up my mind. Luckily, I have awhile- tickets don't go on sale til next weekend. The problem is that I know where they are going to play and the place is a freakin' echo pit! I would challenge the best soundman out there to dampen the sound in the place enough to make it worth my money and while to go! Back in '98, I went to see Plant & Page at the Alamo Dome (also referred to in this city as the Ugly Dome and the dead Armadillo.) The place can hold 50 to 75,000 people, they used only half of it and the reverberation was atrocious. The overwhelming sound and heat (the AC died shortly before the first band hit the stage!) didn't dampen my experience, but I have heard them in better places.
The Police are scheduled to play the AT&T Centre, and I have been in this room. Extremely high ceilings, with nothing to absorb sound, and a centralized stage with hanging speakers pretty much spell noisy to me. I don't think I could find a sweet spot in the room if you gave me five days! That's a soundman's term for the point where all the elements of the sound blend perfectly, and I have a soundman's ear. I have been one for a long time.

*sigh* It's no fun being a music fan and having to deal with mediocre venues. That's one of the reasons I stuck it out at the Red Room. We had some amazing nights there, with music played at reasonable volumes, so it could actually be HEARD. For that reason alone, I am sorry San Antonio never caught on to listening, really hearing music.

Still, to watch Sterwart Copeland on drums....Andy summers on guitar.....Sting on bass. They've all done nothing but grow as musicians in the years since the Police.


Guess I am going to be spending some serious time weighing the pros and cons. And looking for my binoculars.....