Stewart Copeland, the legendary drummer and founding member of The Police, has never been one to mince his words. In a remarkably frank and wide-ranging interview, the musician has opened up about explosive on-stage arguments, awkward celebrity run-ins, and his bold views on some of rock's most revered icons.
Turin Inferno: A Public Explosion with Sting
Recounting one of the most chaotic moments from the band's 2007-2008 reunion tour, Copeland described a fiery incident in front of 80,000 people in Turin, Italy. During Andy Summers' guitar solo in 'When The World Is Running Down', Copeland admits he took the tempo up a notch, a common occurrence when he gets excited by the guitarist's playing.
This, however, did not sit well with frontman Sting. "When Sting comes back to his vocals, he's having to jabber, and he hates that shit," Copeland recalled. The bassist began screaming at him in front of the massive audience, waving his arm to indicate the correct backbeat. Copeland's internal reaction was stark: "I must kill you now." He reflected, "Stingo, you've known me for 50 years and you think that's how to calm me down?" Despite—or perhaps because of—the public row, Copeland insists it was "one of the best shows we ever played."
Cringeworthy Encounters and Rock Star Ratings
The drummer also shared his most embarrassing celebrity meeting. At an after-party for a Foo Fighters concert at Wembley Stadium, he inadvertently "Bogarted" a joint intended for Paul McCartney. "I took the joint, and I looked over and I realised that the intended recipient... was none other than Paul McCartney," he said, still unsure if the moment was mortifying or a "cool brag."
He was full of praise for McCartney, however, naming him the nicest rock star for remembering names and treating everyone like a regular guy. When pressed on the nastiest, Copeland diplomatically stated that artists rarely see the bad side of their peers, citing Mötley Crüe's Tommy Lee as a sweet and cheerful hang.
His most controversial opinion was reserved for David Bowie. While acknowledging Bowie's innovation and immense cultural impact, Copeland was blunt: "Anything by David Bowie... is overrated." He explained, "It didn't work for me. I never wanted to look like that, I never wanted to sound like that, I didn't get it. I was into Jimi Hendrix."
From Spyro to Spycraft
Beyond The Police, Copeland discussed his prolific work composing the soundtrack for the 1998 video game 'Spyro the Dragon', a fact that still astonishes many fans. He also touched on his unconventional upbringing as the son of a CIA officer and a British intelligence agent, revealing a shocking discovery from a recent podcast.
"The most shocking part was that he was not actually working for Uncle Sam during my lifetime," Copeland said of his father. "He was working for the oil companies – doing the same job, you know, propping up dictators and keeping the status quo." He wryly noted this was "not quite as sexy" as being a full-time spy.
On drumming, Copeland named Simon Kirke of Free and Bad Company as the most underrated, championing his innate groove. "He is a great example of the fact that great drummers are born, not made," he stated, placing Kirke alongside greats like Ringo Starr and Charlie Watts.
Stewart Copeland is currently touring his in-conversation show, 'Have I Said Too Much? The Police, Hollywood, And Other Adventures', with dates scheduled in Australia and New Zealand for January 2025.
