Caught live: The Police at Hyde Park

THE POLICE bade an emotional farewell to their UK fans last night with an
arresting finale to London's Hyde Park Calling festival.
STING and his supergroup - who reformed last year - belted out a long
line of their classic hits to more than 35,000 revellers enjoying the summer
sunshine.

Alongside STUART COPELAND on drums and ANDY SUMMERS on guitar,
Sting opened the show by telling the fired-up crowd "It's nice to be
back home."

The trio then closed the weekend-long festival, headlined on Saturday by Eric
Clapton, with 90 minutes of pure rock nostalgia.

Kicking off with Message In A Bottle, they went on to deliver perfect
performances of the trademarks that defined a glittering 30-year career.

Iconic tunes like Roxanne, Don't Stand So Close To Me, Walking On The Moon,
Can't Stand Losing You and Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic had the
whole park on their feet singing along.

And a clearly emotional Sting admitted he'd come a long way during those three
decades, working as a school teacher before shooting to stardom.

The show - part of the Ambassadors of Rock tour - also featured THE BANGLES
who began the afternoon with their own trip back to the 80s, treating those
who'd arrived early to favourites Manic Monday, Eternal Flame and a superb
version of Walk Like An Egyptian mixed with SIMON AND GARFUNKEL's Mrs
Robinson.

They were followed by English rockers STARSAILOR, and the Lancashire
lads didn't disappoint with a stonking set including Four To The Floor.

But it was left to Sting and The Police to bring the curtain down on two days
of superb music for those who don't own a pair of wellies and couldn't be
bothered to make the trip to Somerset for Glastonbury.

A beautiful rendition of Every Breath You Take was a highlight, though Sting
surely missed a great opportunity to deliver some of his own material to the
loyal crowd.

Sting said earlier this week that it was the end of an era, adding that during
the 125-date tour the band had learned how "all of us had advanced from
the young men that we were, but also stayed more or less the same."




Well, The Police might be hanging up their instruments, but their music
certainly stands the test of time.

He finished yesterday with a simple "Goodnight London".

And those who were lucky enough to join three million other fans on this
special farewell tour will have gone home happy having figured in their own
piece of musical history - with a concert to savour in the memory for a long
time to come.

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