Strange Things Happen, A Life With The Police, Polo and Pygmies
Stewart Copeland’s recent book contains the phrase “A life with The Police” in the title but it is far more than anecdotal tales of life as a rock star at the height of his game. Sure, it has some of the behind the scenes stuff that we all enjoy reading but you also get a true sense of Stewart’s personality, his background and what music(and of course playing drums) means to him not only intellectually but also spiritually. In the following passage he describes his experience playing drums in a Christmas service in an English church as a teenager:
“ The tom-tom reverberates with a sonorous boom. Up until now drums have been about assertion and empowerment but this is new. Into my young quavering hand has been placed the rudder of this sacred ship. I can only be a servant of the powerful emotional force that has been created in this ancient stone shrine. All of us are joined at this moment by the momentum of our shared ritual, and I am the beating heart. I am nothing, no one. Just the beating heart of a larger body, enveloped by the soul of the faithful. A synapse closes in the mind of the enraptured protoshaman.
Next morning, when my head clears, it seems obvious that music isn’t just a tool or a weapon, it’s what my life is for. It’s powerful juju, and I want to own it as much as it owns me.”
I realize that that was probably a long and pretty heavy excerpt and believe me, a lot of the book is very light hearted but I really love that passage. Stewart here and in other parts of the book analyzes that interesting dichotomy that propels a musician to attain the level he has achieved. Utter respect and love of music and the arrogance it takes to attempt to master it.
But wait, there’s more! You also get other aspects of Stewarts life which includes film and tv scoring, opera composing, polo, hanging out and sometimes jamming with a younger set of musicians, making films…..you get the idea. He certainly likes to keep himself busy.
Stewart Copeland has been a huge influence and source of inspiration to me and I suspect many drummers of my generation. There is no mistaking that sound for anyone else. The highly pitched snare, the sparkling cymbals, that infectious groove. His exuberant personality oozing out of the kit. Totally unique. The man loves playing his drums. I love that in a drummer. Strange Things Happen shows that he also seems to love life. Hmmm…there could be a connection there somewhere….