The Police bid farewell in style...

The Police's final performance was one to remember. It was a farewell to a world-class group.

Iggy Pop and The Scabs gave decent performances at TW Classic, but that was of lesser importance. The Police were eagerly anticipated all day. The band was playing in Belgium for the very last time and was the absolute headliner of the festival.

During the day, we saw quite a few fans wearing Police T-shirts, staring apathetically into space, or taking a nap on a plastic blanket in the swampy field. They had come to see Sting and co.; they didn't care about anything else.

The trio of Sting, Andy Summers, and Stewart Copeland were clearly in the mood, as they started their set over fifteen minutes early, misleading some of the audience.

The opening notes of 'Message In A Bottle' made quite a few people look up in surprise. Sting had grown a full beard for the occasion, which made him look like someone washed up on a deserted island. It made "I'll send an S.O.S. to the world" sound very believable. His tight-fitting T-shirt, on the other hand, was an odd clothing choice.

"Message In A Bottle" set the tone for the performance: The Police wanted to prove once again that they were still the international stars. The three are incredibly well-rehearsed, needing only a nod or a glance to understand what their colleagues mean.

Sting, Stewart Copeland, and Andy Summers still had something to make up for with their Belgian fans: last year, one of The Police's shows at the Sportpaleis was cancelled due to Sting's vocal problems. We're willing to bet that most of the fans who unsuccessfully bought tickets at the time were actually at the Werchter arena.

And Sting hadn't forgotten the cancelled show either: he regularly launched into vocal outbursts, as if to prove that last year's cancellation was indeed due to health problems and not old age.

The Police have left their mark on recent music history by creating recognizable pop songs with influences such as reggae. Yet Sting remained modest: "It's an honour to be on the same stage as Iggy Pop, a legend."

Sting is best known for his distinctive voice, but he's also a powerful bassist, as he demonstrated at TW Classic. Although the bass sometimes gets a bit too much weight, which disrupts the balance of the arrangements.

Andy Summers, on the other hand, is an impressive guitarist who brought a remarkable joie de vivre to the stage, and drummer Stewart Copeland also hammered his drums with the utmost precision.

Still, the first part lacked a few moments of clenched fists or a bit of acceleration. "Walking On The Moon" and especially "Demolition Man" were stretched out a bit too long, making them sound a bit sluggish after a while.

But that was quickly rectified. The second part had several standouts: "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" sounded wonderfully summery, and drummer Stewart Copeland showcased his talent with virtuoso percussion in "Wrapped Around Your Finger."

"Invisible Sun," on the other hand, was disappointing: images of children were shown on the screens, giving the song too much of a corny feel. "Can't Stand Losing You," the set's closer, was also the highlight of the evening. The song was given an impressive live performance, just like last year at the Sportpaleis.

As well as they played, The Police, like the other bands, couldn't get the audience going. Enthusiastic clapping, yes, but it all remained quite polite. Only the classics received a thunderous round of applause: 'Everything She Does Is Magic', 'Walking On The Moon', 'De Do Do Do De Da Da Da', or 'Roxanne'. The only real singing along came during 'De dododo'. A shame, because the band deserved more.

The Police had planned a generous encore; no fewer than five songs, including "Roxanne," which wasn't played last year, "So Lonely," and "Every Breath You Take." Their version of "Every Breath You Take" was a bit too bare-bones for our taste. Nevertheless, Sting showed his vocal fitness during the encore, though he sounded a bit rawer in places than on the album. We also thought we heard some pre-recorded backing vocals.

This is a minor criticism, as The Police delivered a powerful performance in Werchter that honours the legend. We can only hope the three rethink their plans and schedule another reunion concert.

(c) De Standaard by Kristof Hoefkens