The Police have put out the green light for a world tour.
On the heels of their performance at Sunday's Grammy Awards, the newly reunited rock superstars confirmed Monday that they would be embarking on a highly anticipated road trip, beginning May 28 in Vancouver.
The trek will take Sting, Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers to locations across North America this summer and will continue with dates in Europe this fall. Performances in Mexico, South America, Japan Australia and New Zealand were expected to be added to the roster.
Highlights of the North American leg of the tour include a headlining performance at the Bonnaroo Festival in Manchester, Tennessee, on June 16 and a concert at Boston's Fenway Park on July 28.
The Police will also play a pair of dates at New York's Madison Square Garden on Aug. 1 and 3, as well as concerts in cities including Seattle, New Orleans, Denver and Las Vegas. Dates in additional cities, including Los Angeles, Chicago and Miami, were scheduled to be announced in the next few weeks.
"It's going to be three guys on stage, that's all," Sting told reporters Monday at the Whisky a Go-Go in West Hollywood. "The show is going to look simple but spectacular."
The band said they would stick to playing Police material, rather than dipping into songs from Sting's solo career. They were evasive on the question of whether the tour could lead to recording new material together. (Universal Music has already announced a retrospective CD box set will be released later this year.)
After drifting apart in the '80s, due in large part to Sting and Copeland's fractious relationship, the reggae-influenced trio last reunited four years ago to mark the Police's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
On Monday, Copeland poked fun at his band mate's demanding personality, joking that he and Summers referred to Sting as "our dear leader."
"On a good day," Summers added.
Rumblings that the band members would attempt to put their differences aside once again for a 30th-anniversary reunion tour began as soon as their appearance on the Grammys was confirmed.
During Sunday's awards ceremony, the band received thunderous applause from the audience, as a well-muscled Sting proclaimed, "Ladies and gentleman, we are the Police and we are back!"
The band went on to perform a jazzed-up rendition of "Roxanne" that received mixed reviews from critics.
While the New York Times dubbed it a "blistering performance," the San Francisco Chronicle's Culture Blog opined, "Sting missed all the high notes, which is pretty much missing the point of the entire song." Conversely, the AP reported that the 55-year-old lead singer "even managed to make the high notes."
Whatever the verdict, the band's upcoming tour will undoubtedly be a sell-out, as strong tickets sales for recent tours by veteran acts such as the Rolling Stones and the Who proved that concertgoers are still willing to shell out for classic rock.
Tickets for the North American leg were priced from $50 to $225, with a portion of the proceeds going to benefit the charity WaterAid, an organization dedicated to providing those in need with clean water.
As long as Sting and Copeland can maintain their truce for the duration of the trek, the Police should have audiences wrapped around their fingers.