The Police: Synchronicity Concert

Great set list of some of the Police's best songs and a look back 40 years ago at the band. Very well produced concert video you can watch it over and over again without getting bored. Like all live concert music the production varies from the studio album version in sound and instrumentation and the use of background singers. If there's one criticism it's that it flips to the fan crowd shots a little more often than I would like. It's a must have concert video for any serious Police fan. It's just a bit dated that it was shot on NTSC standard definition although the 2005 UMG DVD was remixed in Dolby surround sound.

IMHO the best filmed live concert ever. The band are at their absolute peak of performance and popularity. There can rarely have been a better front man than the then-youthful Sting and Stewart Copeland is one amazing drummer. Andy Summers was/is a superb musician and his contribution was always, I feel, underrated. The sound they created was incredible given they were a three-piece unit. Godley & Creme did a wonderful job of capturing the excitement of the live performance and the audience reaction. I find it as exciting now 21(!!!) years after the event as I did at the time. A great legacy to leave as they broke up at their peak. It shows all the modern manufactured bands how to do it. Remember you have to be able to actually master and PLAY your instruments!! Oh and you also need talent. The Police had all that in spades.

The Police - Sting, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland - live at The Omni, Atlanta, Georgia, in November 1983. Tracklist: Synchronicity 1, Synchronicity 2, Walking in Your Footsteps, Message in a Bottle, Walking on the Moon, Oh My God, De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da, Wrapped around your finger, Tea in the Sahara, Hole in my life, Spirits in the material world, Invisible Sun, One World (not three), King of Pain, Don't stand so close to me, Every breath you take, Roxanne, Can't stand losing you / Regatta de Blanc, So lonely.

A superb capture of a brilliant band, caught right at its peak. All the well-known hits, all expertly and energetically performed. What takes things to another level is the camera work and edits: these give the concert and film a wonderfully sense of vibrancy and highlight the craft of the performers. I could have done with a bit less Sting and more Copeland and Summers but a minor gripe - you still get to see what makes all three so great individually and next-level brilliant collectively.

The shots of the crowd enjoying themselves - especially by focussing on individual members of the audience - add to the fun, experiencing-a-brilliant-and-adored-band-in-top-form vibe. You can imagine being there and living that moment.

I agree with the sentiment that this is an outstanding concert by an outstanding band but it is one of, thankfully, many provided by bands of this era and I'm talking across genres here; bands like Genesis, Rush, U2, AC/DC and so many others who have fallen out of favour and are now being rediscovered as classic performers. This footage shows it's age: 4:3 format, 80's editing, cheesy backing singers (sorry girls) but there's no hiding the performance, the audience reaction and the fact that it was the first of its kind. If you're of that era then relive the hight of The Police's popularity. If it's before your time then take a look at where your idols got their inspiration from.