Police and U2 cover bands a hit with local crowd

Message in a Bottle were a hit with the crowd during their debut Bermuda performance at Par-la-Ville car park last night.

The Police tribute act opened their set with a cover of their namesake song Message in a Bottle and covered all the seminal hits you would hope to hear including De Do Do Do, Wrapped Around Your Finger, Walking On The Moon, So Lonely, Every Breath You Take and a wicked version of Roxanne.

Going by the audience reaction, the organizers would do well to bring them back to perform here again. The reggae vibes so prominent in this band just sat so easily with a Bermudian audience.

They did need more stage presence and interaction among band members. They had some good reaction when they did make the effort – at one point they asked if there were any “naughty teachers” just before launching into Don’t stand So Close To Me about a schoolgirl's inappropriate crush on her teacher.

They could have taken lessons from the main act – U2 cover band Elevation who brought the Bono /Edge camaraderie of the real band to life.

U2’s premium cover band Elevation really did steal the show bringing their infectious energy to the stage. They didn’t come on until gone midnight but it was well worth the wait. They dug out all the classics from the repertoire – Sunday Bloody Sunday, Where the Streets Have No Name, New Year’s Day…

Ending the set with the iconic With or Without You was the cherry on the cake. The crowd absolutely loved this band, they danced through the whole set and people were literally climbing the fencing to try get as close as possible to the band.

Local acts The Kennel Boys and The Big Days (formerly Another Plane Crash) both performed excellent, high energy sets to open the evening.

The venue worked really well and parking couldn’t have been more convenient being located so close to City Hall car park. This is the first time I have been to a concert at Par-la-Ville car park and while you miss the pretty view and sea air of Barr’s Bay Park, everything just seemed easier at this spot.

There weren’t enough people to fill the venue so it felt a little empty, especially at the start before everyone arrived to see the main acts.

Those who bought VIP tickets didn’t get all that much advantage over normal ticket holders as there were no queues getting into the venue nor any queues at the bar. There was one elevated viewing area with seating that VIPs had access to. The VIP tickets for the upcoming Beres Hammond concert on Wednesday will be better bang for the buck, organizers are expecting 3,000 people at the very least – the VIP area will be extended and will include front of stage viewing.

On the whole, a great night was certainly had by all.