Stewart Copeland was left “heartbroken” by The Police’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2003
Stewart Copeland has explained why he was left “heartbroken” by his The Police bandmates following their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003.
The Police had not performed together for decades before reuniting at the ceremony, which saw them perform ‘Roxanne’, ‘Message in a Bottle’, and ‘Every Breath You Take’.
However, much to Copeland’s disappointment, it wasn’t the celebratory affair that he had envisaged after going so many years without being in the same room as Sting and Andy Summers.
In the new documentary, Copeland, The Independent reports the drummer said in the film, “We rehearsed before, then we hadn’t seen each other in decades – the rehearsals were a little weird.”
Copeland continued, “We played our three songs, [then] after we played the three songs – it was a very low stage – I look over and Andy’s walked off that way into the night, Sting’s walked off that way… I walk over the front of the stage, go meet up with my family… I never saw The Police again that night.”
He also said that he was left with “a feeling of sadness”, admitting, “I was heartbroken.” The drummer is also quoted as saying in the film, “Does that mean nothing? Come on, guys. And I never saw them again.”
Additionally, while speaking to The Independent, Copeland said of the induction ceremony, “It was strange that we came together and went apart,” as well as revealing he spent more time with The Clash than his own band.
His new documentary, Copeland, will premiere in London at the Raindance Film Festival on June 19th.
In January, amid an ongoing legal battle between members of The Police, it emerged that Sting has paid out £595,000 to Stewart Copeland and Andrew Summers since facing legal action over unpaid royalties.
This payout comes amid years of legal rows between the trio, with Summers and Copeland accusing Sting, real name Gordon Sumner, of losing royalties from the band which were owed to them.
Copeland and Summers contend that they are owed more than £1.49 million in “arranger’s fees” by the bassist and his company, Magnetic Publishing. The case remains ongoing.
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