HI EVERYBODY!!!!
We just come back to Barcelona (Xavi and I) after
tour 3 days with Andy Summers in Spain.
The first show was in Reus,a small town near
to Tarragona (south of Catalonia).The venue was a nice place called La Palma de
Reus, a modernist building who has a small venue for 400 people.The show was
sold-out!!!!.We met with Dennis Smith at 6 afternoon at the venue and we talk
for a few minutes because he was very busy to arrenge all the stuff on the
stage.
During that time we talk withe the promoter Alfonso
Cito who told me that the tour was optimus and that Andy was very happy and with
good mod !!!.He told me that they are planing to tour Spain in Novembre and
visist Barcelona, because that time was imposible because the date decided for
the show in Barcelona concided with the Eric Clapton's concert.
The shows in Islan Canarias were so great, with
over booking in both shows and the Madrid show and Valencia too.The show iMadrid
was 2 sets 44 minutes one set and the scond one of 55 minutes
long.The Valencia show was in a very small place on for 150 people but,
finally they come 250 people and some people attend the show out
side!!!!.
After this, the Reus show was the next one...and
..finally Andy arrived to the place...they arrive with the two other musicians
,Ernest Tibbs bass and Bernie Dresel drums!!!.Uhmmm I miss, the promoter they
make a good job and he made a very nice promo posters for the shows and nice
hand bills!!!.Andy was very, very happy with him and as I told before, he want
to tour Spain again this year.
Andy take position to the stage at 21 hous for a 20
minutes long soundcheck....and after this he relaxed for one hour on the
dressing room and they attend the local press for a interview...I ask to make
the interview to Dennnis the same day, but for a little confusion I miss the
oportunity and we posponed the int. for the day after.
The show start at 23 hours and the place was sold
out...the nice surprise for everybody was to hear speack Spanish Andy...they do
very, very well!!!...He makes some jokes with his name (Andy Summers= Andres
Veranos) and he told to the audience that he was for the first time in
Tarragona...but...the people he diden't like, Reus was the place , not
Tarragona, both citys had a serius rivality...but, Reus is a town who is a part
of Tarragona...so..just a mistake...but...funny.
The show was 1 hour and 30 minutes long..and he
plays some tracks of Earth + Sky and finally a great version of Message In A
Bottle.
The band goes very fats to the hotel because the
day afer we had a long trip to Vitoria-Gasteiz.
After a long trip to Vitoria with rain and
snow....we arrived at the hotel, the same as Andy and we met with him on the
lift.Dennis ask to Andy..."do you know his??"...It's Toni!!!! from
Barcelona!!!...I told him that I'm Toni the guy who send the Police book I
wrotte some years ago and that he ask me in 1998 to learn Spanish..and the guy
who make the silver pic few years later and who give for me my good friend
Giovanni Pollastri from Italy..."uhmmm..yeah.yeah..I remember you"..he was a
good start for all the things they come later!!!!
The show was in a rock place, not bigger 1500
people, but, the problem was that this time the sales are very bad...on 60
people attend the show!!!!.Vitoria-Gasteiz is not a big city, but the dame day
there are two more concerts.
Andy and the band arrived at the place very tireds
and Andy's looks not be happy, he looks tired and the feel was not good.I ask to
Dennis about that..and they told that the trip was very long, very tired and
they run with a small car 7 people and the equipement..so....Andy...just make
one song on the soundcheck and not more.....after this they attend a journalist
from Vitoria and after him...my turn!!!!
Nice, brilliant...he attend me for near
30 minutes long and we recorded a long interview in wich he explain many things,
about the last album, about the 3 new books that they are working on it...one of
this..a big, big one book of POLICE photos..he told that he has more than
200.000 pics.
He is also planing to make a live album (Ken,
this is for you!!! and mabe recorded in Chicago).He told me that he diden't want
to play anymore in the Baked Potato Club and no more US tours.
About Police!!!!???...he enjoyed very much to be at
the Hall Of Fame show, he liked to show his family, specilly theirs sons who are
The Police band...and this was one of the reasons who loved to do..he liked to
be with Sting and Stewart for a wekend and was a good
experience....
We have time to talk about the last terrorism
attacks in US and Spain ( Madrid)..we tald about the Catalan peinter
Antoni Tapies, the photographer Andre Cartier Breson and about the bad and
rediculus mixes of Stewart Copeland.I ask him about old stuff of Police,
but they told me that there's nothing..nothing..nothing exist.
Finally told that Stewart are making a
project to make a dvd of POLICE stuff filmed by himself...but the problem
is the cost of to do that....but..is a project.
Finally he sigend some records and during this
moment we talk about manythings...John Cale, Kevin Ayers, diff. projects, when
he start to learn Spanish and when he start to learn Catalan!!! (uhmmmm..my
joke)..he told that is more dificult...so..thay take his time to learn Spanish
before other lenguages!!!.
Well......after this..the show!!!!! this time was s
short concert only one hour..no Mesage In A Bottle, but the band they do a nice
concert..same tracks more or less than the Reus set.
Andy looks tired and he ask to the people where are
the people???..no audience tonight??..and some one answer him.."only the
intelingent people tonight".....he smail and they start the show.
After the show we met another time for a minutes
with Andy and Dennis...we say bye bye...and see you in Novembre in
Barcelona.
Thios morning before to come back we talk with
Dennis and we say that was a nice met and hope to be in touch very
soon.
That's all....is there anybody interested in more
info..just kepp in touch...and as every time I wrotte long messages, sorry for
my English faults!!!!.I try to do the best...so..enjoy the review!!
Toni & Xavi
Thanks to Mikelon and Marta and Alfonso
Cito.