More than 23 years after their last tour ended in Melbourne, Australia, The Police returned to the world stage in Vancouver last night.
"I'd like to introduce the band. Andy, this is Stewart", Sting joked in front of 20,000 fans at the Canadian city's GM Place arena. The band kicked off their official reunion with 'Message In A Bottle', before spending two hours exploring the canon of hits which made them arguably the biggest band of the late '70s and early '80s.The set list included 'Roxanne', 'Synchronicity', 'Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic', 'Walking On The Moon', 'Every Breath You Take', 'When The World Is Running Down', 'Spirits In The Material World' and 'Next To You'.
The band played a dress rehearsal the previous night in front of 4,000 undoubtedly delirious fan club members. Celebrity fans in attendance for the official show included Penelope Cruz and Eddie Vedder.
The next round of announcements will include Mexico and South America. Australia, New Zealand and Japan will happen in early 2008.
Special guest of the tour are Sting's son's band Fiction Plane. Joe Sumner, like his dad Sting, plays bass.
Other guest bands across the tour will include The Fratellis, Foo Fighters, Maroon 5.
The setlist for the first show was:
Message In A Bottle (from Regatta D'Blanc)
Synchronicity II (from Synchronicity)
Don't Stand So Close To Me (from Zenyatta Mondatta)
Voices In My Head/When The World Is Running Down (from Zenyatta Mondatta)
Spirits In The Material World (from Ghost In The Machine)
Driven To Tears (from Zenyatta Mondatta)
Walking On The Moon (from Regatta D'Blanc)
Truth Hits Everybody (from Outlandos D'Amour)
Wrapped Around Your Finger (from Synchronicity)
The Bed's Too Big Without You (from Regatta D'Blanc)
Murder By Numbers (from Synchronicity)
De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da (from Zenyatta Mondatta)
Invisible Sun (from Ghost In The Machine)
Walking In Your Footsteps (from Synchronicity)
Can't Stand Losing You (from Outlandos D'Amour)
Roxanne (from Outlandos D'Amour)
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King of Pain (from Synchronicity)
So Lonely (from Outlandos D'Amour)
Every Breath You Take (from Synchronicity)
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Next To You (from Outlandos D'Amour)
