Stewart Copeland: Everyone Stares

With their rather short activity of 6 years starting in the late 1970s, The Police indeed left their mark on the history of rock. During that period, there was one man documenting almost every single minute of the band’s successful path - Police drummer Stewart Copeland himself. Today PingMag met film maker Mr. Stewart Copeland who came to Tokyo for his latest documentary Everyone Stares / The Police Inside Out.

Written by Chiemi

(Click here to see when Stewart came on stage!)

MC: First, this “Everyone Stares / The Police Inside Out” has been made into a documentary from the footage you shot long time ago. Were you actually planning to make a documentary film when you were shooting?

I bought a Super 8 as a tourist because it was cool and it was a fun toy to play with. Maybe I was thinking of making the most important movie ever - but I didn’t really know how to shoot it. The tiny little flame of Super 8 was not going to be huge. But what I did shoot and the things happening in front of my camera were an incredible adventure. That’s why the movie is certainly worth to be seen.

Reporter: How did you feel to edit your own footage after 20 years?

I’m very glad that I’m not in the movie. (laughs) I remember taking the shots and I also remember that Andy and Sting were very handsome back then. By the way, I just saw them last week and they are still very handsome, though not quite as beautiful as they used to be. (laughs) …and Sting had a little bit more hair. (laughs again)

Reporter: When you thought about making this film, did you imagine to reunite the band?

No. In fact, during the last 20 years, the last question of every interview was always like “I’m really sorry to ask you this but my boss made me to… would The Police ever reunite…?” And I was saying “NO. NO WAY.” I lied - well, not exactly because I didn’t think this was going to happen. During the last year I felt like that the film completed the story of The Police. And on the very next day, there came this “Hey Stewart, we should do it.” It was Sting!

Reporter: Some young people will find out about The Police for the first time through this documentary. Any message for them?

When we were young, we were a political group. We wanted to burn down everything and destroy the world. That’s what young people want. But now, I am an adult: I am a tax payer and I have my kids at schools. I don’t want to burn down anything nor do I want riots on the streets. So my message is… Eat your vegetables and do your homework! (Everyone laughs) …and rock, dude!

MC: By the way, when you split up, it was rumored that you had a big argument. Was that true?

We did have a huge argument. In fact, last week we were still having a huge argument. (laughs) Everything is different now - but nothing has changed. We spent all day with myself wanting the music going faster and Sting wanting it slower, I want the music louder, Sting wants it more quiet… all day we were arguing but at the dinner we all laughed about it. We love each other. I guess he woke up one morning and thought “I bet Stewart will slow down.” He was wrong!

…finally it’s time to say hello to Mr. Copeland from PingMag! When he heard that PingMag is a magazine about design and art, he seemed to be a bit confused and said “Never mind, I will make it out!” - with a big smile.

Welcome back to Tokyo as a film director, Mr. Copeland! I heard that you started to make this documentary because you found out about Final Cut Pro when you were working in the movie industry as a composer. You also call yourself a computer geek and now you have two tools you can manage, the drum set and Final Cut. Which one do you prefer?

Both are very different, but… I’m probably better at playing drums! Anyone can play drums and anyone can use Final Cut but people take it really seriously when I play drums and only a bit seriously when I use Final Cut. So they don’t put me on the front of a design magazine - but on a drummer magazine! (laughs)

However, you will be in our magazine as a film director. The last director we had was Michel Gondry…

Really? I know Michel! He is very smart. He does all in front of the camera and neither uses After Effects nor Final Cut… But tell that little French guy that I’m on his case! (laughs) He is also a drummer, you know.

Regarding the process of film making today, what was the most difficult thing for you?

It’s really easy and fun to put pictures together, and I love the way the system works. But I found it rather difficult to organize the whole media. My computer couldn’t handle the mere volume of the data and kept crushing. So every time I had to call my friend and ask him how to work it out better. I learnt so much by making this film.

You probably see things different now: which of your music videos do you like most and which one do you hate?

I see “The Police: Inside Out” as a long form of a music video! And I hate the “De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da” video. I didn’t realize it then, but the colours are gray and it’s a boring frame. I remember the video director was talking to me like Mr. Professional “You pretend to shoot with your camera and I’ll come around with a 16mm camera, man…” But his shot sucked! I took a shot with my camera at the same time and the colours and atmosphere were much better!

Are you planning to make another film?

I was actually planning to make another film, until one day Sting called up. So all of my plans were destroyed! Indeed, I have a lot of footage of all different kinds of bands, such as The Clash, The B-52’s, or Talking Heads… from punks to hippies, all bands from that specific period. I could bring my camera even in their dressing room and shoot on stage, too. Nobody stopped me. So that’s the kind of film I want to make next.

You have a world tour coming up - so it will take a while for us to get to see it, I guess?

I have to see how this Police thing works out because The Police consumes everything. I only found out about this last year when I was making this movie. It ate my life! Everything I planned for that year I had to put aside because The Police is bigger than anything in my life. Well, Sting found that out a couple of weeks ago, too. I really enjoy watching him right now. He thought he could open the door a little bit and see what it’s like. But it’s not that easy!

So what is The Police for you in one word?

Godzilla! (laughs)

Sounds like you are ready to be the drummer again! Mr. Stewart Copeland, thank you so much for giving our “Design” magazine a little bit of your time today!

Sting at the press conference in LA (c) Shuji Kobayashi

Andy Summers (c) Shuji Kobayashi

…and drummer Stewart Copeland! (c) Shuji Kobayashi

Announcement
Just reunited this February, The Police will do a Japan tour in February 2008! Keep en eye for further info!

“Everyone Stares / The Police: Inside Out”, directed by Stewart Copeland, is now shown at TOHO cinemas Roppongi Hills and other TOHO branches! Don’t miss it!

10 Comments

1. Ha ha ha, I get it, it’s April 1st! You Pingwags! LOLZ! “Don’t stand so close to me!” Ha ha ha…

   Posted by: Momus on April 5th, 2007 at 8:19 pm

2. Very nice interview, thanks!

   Posted by: Bill Olen on April 6th, 2007 at 12:27 am

3. Very cool!
   Stewart ROCKS!!!
   Thanks for posting!
   JB

   Posted by: Johnny Beane on April 6th, 2007 at 10:23 am

4. Quote:

   “I have a lot of footage of all different kinds of bands, such as The Clash, The B-52’s, or Talking Heads…”

   Very interesting!

   Posted by: georgygirl on April 10th, 2007 at 11:27 am

5. Stewart is the best, will always be the best. I got my tickets!!!

   Posted by: Mike P on April 11th, 2007 at 10:13 am

6. i always liked the drumming on synchronicity alot and never new who the drummer was….now.

   Posted by: harry on April 11th, 2007 at 10:52 am

7. We’re going to see them Saturday in L.A. Stewart is the greatest!! So glad the Police are playing together again…..

   Posted by: Matt on June 18th, 2007 at 1:15 am

8. Love, Love, Love, Stu Copeland! True percussion talent!! We loved the Toronto Police Concert, July 23/07!!

   Posted by: Anonymous on July 28th, 2007 at 11:57 pm

9. Stewart, que bueno que se juntaron soy asiduo a vuestra Musica y me gusta mucho la bateria aún conservo un disco promocional de tu autoría llamado SHAMBELLE en 45 RPM, del Albúm GHOST IN THE MACHINE…Gracias por juntarse los quiero a los tres grandes MÚSICOS
   Hasta pronto
   PABLO GARCIA PALMA
   Santiago de Chile

   Posted by: Pablo Garcia on September 5th, 2007 at 11:42 am

10. Yes, is true POLICE was firstly a PUNK.ROCK band and now is a classical band…Stwart don’t burn any thig…he he

    Posted by: Juan Ruiz on February 13th, 2008 at 4:37 am

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