DVD Review: "Synchronicity Concert - The Police" (2005)

Just in time for the reunion tour of The Police, which is hitting central Canada this week, HMV has this DVD priced at a can't-go-wrong $8.99. As a casual fan at best who saw Sting in June 1993 at the late, great Kingswood Music Theatre just north of Toronto as part of the Canada's Wonderland $12 concert series, I passed on getting tickets for this summer's jaunt, finding this purchase a much more reasonable proposition.

Directed by Godley and Creme and released as a home video in 1984, this effort has not aged well. Sting looks like he's wearing something from the set of his film debut "Dune" and the cheesy background singers are laughable. Even worse is the Atlanta crowd. I lost count of how many Puma T-shirts I saw. Lame effects are inserted into the presentation, too, like strobe lights and that kind of thing. Don't get me wrong - if I was a twenty-year old new waver living in my parents' basement in the mid-80s and got a hold of this, I'd think it was pretty cool, but it's 2007. Musically, things are decent, but this video reinforces that the band's hits were head and shoulders above their album cuts. It is also a good look at the drumming of Stewart Copeland, often overlooked outside of certain circles. Moreover, the show itself is your basic lighting kit with dry ice here and there - nothing spectacular.

Take a look at Message in a Bottle and you'll see for yourself. A decent addition to your shelf of live DVDs, but only if you're a collector - otherwise, you aren't missing much.

Overall rating: 5/10