Fringe 2024 The Story of Sting and The Police theSpace Symposium Hall 23rd August Review
The Story of Sting and The Police at the Space @ Symposium Hall is a new show this year from Night Owl Productions. Devised and performed by Angus Munro, with the Night Owl Band with him on stage, this show is an obvious labour of love for this music and that was obviously much appreciated by tonight’s audience.
This show has been one of the sleepers of this year’s Fringe as early audience levels were, as Angus tells, pretty low. Word has obviously spread though about just how good Angus is in this show (and the band) and tonight, as in other shows this week, it was a sell-out show.
This show follows the music of the Police – Sting, Andy Summers, and Stewart Copeland – from their first few singles to international success. It is maybe hard to believe now, but the initial release of the now classic “Roxanne” was a failure in the UK and the band were pretty much ignored by the radio stations and public alike. Part of this may have been their record company’s failed attempt to market the band as a “New Wave/Punk” band and every punk in the land saw through that one.
The Police might have been a fake punk band but what was real was the very serious musical talents of the band. As Angus informs us here, Stuart Copeland and Andy Summers were already well established and respected musicians and Sting’s ability as a songwriter was just about to be truly unleashed upon an unsuspecting public.
Without giving any set lists away here, all the big Police and Sting solo hits are here, plus a few surprises, but hard choices have obviously been made here to fit a very selective set list into a 50 minute Fringe show.
Angus Munro is a versatile vocalist, musician and performer, and the Night Owl Band, in whatever combination they are in for any Night Owl show (there are 12 different ones this year) are always tight and professional. This show though is a little bit special and the best performance that I have seen Angus give in any of the different shows that I have seen him in before.
The Story of Sting and The Police is a show that Angus has personally championed to be put into the Night Owl Productions schedules and his belief in this show has clearly been rewarded by the response that this audience gave to it tonight.
Review by Tom King © 2024
www.artsreviewsedinburgh.com
This show has been one of the sleepers of this year’s Fringe as early audience levels were, as Angus tells, pretty low. Word has obviously spread though about just how good Angus is in this show (and the band) and tonight, as in other shows this week, it was a sell-out show.
This show follows the music of the Police – Sting, Andy Summers, and Stewart Copeland – from their first few singles to international success. It is maybe hard to believe now, but the initial release of the now classic “Roxanne” was a failure in the UK and the band were pretty much ignored by the radio stations and public alike. Part of this may have been their record company’s failed attempt to market the band as a “New Wave/Punk” band and every punk in the land saw through that one.
The Police might have been a fake punk band but what was real was the very serious musical talents of the band. As Angus informs us here, Stuart Copeland and Andy Summers were already well established and respected musicians and Sting’s ability as a songwriter was just about to be truly unleashed upon an unsuspecting public.
Without giving any set lists away here, all the big Police and Sting solo hits are here, plus a few surprises, but hard choices have obviously been made here to fit a very selective set list into a 50 minute Fringe show.
Angus Munro is a versatile vocalist, musician and performer, and the Night Owl Band, in whatever combination they are in for any Night Owl show (there are 12 different ones this year) are always tight and professional. This show though is a little bit special and the best performance that I have seen Angus give in any of the different shows that I have seen him in before.
The Story of Sting and The Police is a show that Angus has personally championed to be put into the Night Owl Productions schedules and his belief in this show has clearly been rewarded by the response that this audience gave to it tonight.
Review by Tom King © 2024
www.artsreviewsedinburgh.com