Ghost In The Machine is one of the most technically talented band in the tribute circuit. This homage to The Police utilizes a maximum amount of skill from each trio member to recreate the actual band in concert. Bouncy, expansive bass notes, rangy melodic guitar phrases, and frenetic polyrhythmic drumming were the order of the evening at Captain Carlo’s in Gloucester, Massachusetts last night.
Opening with “Message In A Bottle,” singer-bassist Phil Cahners dove right in with nice, thick dollops of notes that formed with drummer Ajay Coletta’s intricate patterns into a heavy rhythm Guitarist Eric Yanaway cranked out the reggae flavored lead guitar faster than what other local players could dream of.
Moving right into “Synchronicity,” vocal howling from singer Cahners was right on the money, channeling the urgent neurotic feeling created by the original. And again, Yanaway’s lead guitar was insistent and speedy, playing a lot of notes on time and top of each other for that layering only The Police are known for. He smoldered throughout some perfect ensemble playing in the uptempo paced anthem.
“Don’t Stand So Close To Me,” with its now contemporary theme, featured more clever, tangled lead guitar and bass rolls. The song was so stuffed with rhythms it would have been surprising not to see a few dozen people already dancing in the outdoors dance floor. “Walking On The Moon” gave bassist Cahners a chance to build a huge, awesome bass guitar sound for the guitar to walk across with nifty funky reggae riffs. Yanaway pulled off the majestic, ringing chords as if he was born playing them.
Drummer Coletta pounded his way right into “I Want To Get Next To You” and guitar and bass swiftly follow them into the musical force of colors, rhythms, and melodic phrases. Many Police songs sound like a pastiche of vibrant bass, complex polyrhythm, and sprinkles of guitar brilliance, and this tribute band served it all up in style. It likely helps that Yanaway is also a bass player and he knows how to stay out of the way when the bassist dominates the sound as the lead instrument.
“So Lonely” rushed out of the speakers on the intensity of Yanaway’s lead guitar riffy grind and singer-bassist Cahner’s yelping howl. Cahners also mellowed it out with a punchy bass line after the change. “The Bed’s Too Big Without You” is a lesser known gem that let the trio show their more subtle side. Yanaway just kept on whipping out those reggae guitar riffs with the greatest of ease, and, the bass was so knobby and prominent it became the lead instrument again. This trio definitely makes their fans feel their music as well as hear it. As singer, Cahners has the right timbre to sound enough like Sting to pull off a tribute. Yet, rather than copy cat Sting, he tries to channel the essence of him, and he usually succeeds.
Da Doo Doo Da was a fun song with a thick, bopping rhythm, and it pulled even more people onto the dance floor, numbers of people, which never abated and only grew larger through the night. “Hole In My Life” chugged along on its bouncy bass beat. “Wrapped Around Your Finger” was mellow and elegant. The audience ranged from young adults to people who were young adults or younger when The Police announced their arrival with “Roxanne” in 1979. And, yes, this tribute band played “Roxanne” and yes, they played it well, evening jammed on it a bit.
Yanaway jumped right into “Journey To Tears”” with a monster guitar sound paving the way for the power trio, grinding out guitar phrases as big and fearsome as dinosaurs. As drummer, Coletta is an impressive timekeeper, no small feat in this band with polyrhythm and dizzying, hypnotic guitar lines. Cahner‘s vocal approach, on “King Of Pain” was a smooth wrapping of his lull around sizable rhythms before Yanaway pressed out another wailing guitar phrase.
“Bright On The Night” has the right amount of peppy reggae riffs and beats and it pulled even more people out onto the dance floor. “Spirits In The Material World” and “Every Breath You Take” lost something intangible when translated into this club atmosphere. Yet, “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” got on with a bopping bass line and its jazzy drumming gently maneuvered these rhythms around. By the end, the dance floor was loaded with people who were dancing, swaying in place, or jumping up and down to these complex yet accessible timeless rhythms. The trio closed out with a raucous rendition of “Can’t Stand Losing You” that got people singing along to this amusing song of desperation.
Ghost In The Machine is a very talented tribute band and well worth traveling an hour to check out. Playing the outdoors deck at Captain Carlo’s was a wise move. It created a great vibe in a space conducive to great vibes.
www.apolicetributeband.com
www.captcarlo.com
