Famous guitarist Andy Summerswho earned a place in rock history for his performance in the trio Policewill return to Argentina with his project Call The Police, showcasing the great classics of his famous band, accompanied by two figures from Brazilian rock: drummer João Barón (from Paralamas) and guitarist and singer Rodrigo Santos (from Barão Vermelho). It will be February 27 at ND Theaterwith Richard Coleman Like opening.
The reference, because it could not be otherwise, includes hits such as Every Breath You Take, Message in a Bottle Roxanne, so alone, is driven to tears and Every little thing you do is magic.
Call The Police was founded in 2014, when Andy and Rodrigo met thanks to businessman Luiz Paulo Assuncão, and what started as a musical affinity quickly turned into a strong creative partnership, with unforgettable performances that combined The Police’s greatest hits, Barão Vermelho songs and Rodrigo’s solos.
In 2017, the duo invited drummer João, who suggested the name and thus completed the perfect trio formation. Since then, the group has toured the world, establishing itself as the most authentic and powerful tribute to the legacy of the police, but with its own vibrant Latin spirit.
In a Zoom chat with ClarionAndy Summers – 82 – reflects on the origin of the group: “I spent a lot of time in Rio and met Rodrigo, with whom we had been doing it for ten years, and thanks to the Brazilian promoter Luiz we did all kinds of projects together. At first we tried to make different types of music, but over time we came up with a more commercial idea: to play all of The Police’s music in concert, so that it would be like a big show.”
He adds: “Rodrigo sings all the songs very well. After that he had a big hit, so we enjoyed it and went out to do it about once a year. It’s fun for me to come to South America. The band is great, we know what we’re doing, and that’s it. It’s a good mix of everything, really. We’ve already played all over South America, but not in Argentina, and I’m very happy to see that Argentina is one of the destinations this time.”
-How do you describe the offer?
-It’s basically what they call multimedia. You have music, movies, photography and lots of conversations. But my job is basically the medium, playing all this music. There are different styles, some stuff from my solo albums, and a very nice Brazilian section in the middle, because I love Brazilian music. And of course, I inevitably ended up with The Police’s music, which obviously has backing riffs. The show has been doing very well and I get a standing ovation every night, every time. This is the case.
– What do you remember from your visits to Argentina?
-I had many different experiences, from playing the guitar to playing in stadiums several times. I’m very happy to be back, and obviously it hasn’t been that long, but it’s a troubled country, so what can I say? We all read the papers and know what’s going on, and I’m a little surprised that given all the problems we can come back and play.
-Do you have a new solo album on the way?
-midway. I’m working on it and it’s on my computer. I have to listen to it again and go back to it, because other projects have come up: I went on tour, I was in Japan for a while, I came back and now I’m trying to finish two or three books, which is taking a long time. Now I just want to wrap it all up, get straight to the point and be done with it.
– Don’t tours, trips, procedures, and waiting at airports exhaust you?
-Yes, that’s all true, but I love being on stage. In fact, for the last three years I’ve been doing a special solo show, which would be great to bring to Argentina, where I’m alone on stage and playing with a lot of different image sequences. I talk a lot and play a lot, as if I were creating a live soundtrack on stage for photographs. I enjoy it and it’s a completely different technical setup, whereas for me the issue of playing with a band is very simple. We trained with this group one afternoon and we are ready, because we know them well. They train and I train.
-Is this solo project like stand-up?
-Yes. It’s always interesting because you see the audience, you talk to them, you pick up the guitar and start playing. I’ve become more relaxed, because even though there is some preparation, it’s also improvised. I’m not one of those who are afraid to stand on stage or in front of an audience. In the other direction.