Concert Review - Stewart Copeland - Wellington - 20th January 2026
Presented by Bird’s Robe
Stewart Copeland - Image Supplied
Review By: Bridget Herlihy
Artist/Band: Stewart Copeland
Venue/City: The Opera House, Wellington, New Zealand
Date of Event: Tuesday 20th January 2026The name Stewart Copeland might ring a bell for a number of reasons. The multi-hyphenate has enjoyed a varied and prestigious career as a musician, songwriter, composer, scholar, writer and filmmaker. For many music fans, however, he was the drummer – and the driving-force behind – The Police. It has been a lengthy 18 years since Copeland last visited New Zealand, but this week he has made his very highly anticipated return to our shores, performing spoken word shows in Wellington and Auckland. Last night Copeland delivered the first of these shows at The Opera House in Wellington, an unforgettable evening of delving into the mind of one of the most revered rock drummers of all time.
Copeland's resume is awe-inspiring. He has won multiple Grammy awards (both with The Police and as a solo artist), been inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame, written seven operas, composed multiple scores for film and television, directed documentaries and written several books. His latest written work, Strange Things Happen: A Life with The Police, Polo and Pygmies, released in 2025, offers a candid insight into Copeland's extraordinary career trajectory, from his early childhood to the present day.
Suffice to say his narrative is as intriguing as it is captivating, illustrating the numerous, and at times surprising, facets and highlights of Copeland's extensive body of work. With a natural gift for detailed and engaging storytelling and conversation, last year Copeland undertook a tour in the UK entitled Have I Said Too Much? The Police, Hollywood, and Other Adventures, which sold out dozens of dates. Fortunately for his fans down under, this month he has toured the show in Australia, and now it is New Zealand's turn.
An eclectic crowd of fans that spanned generations gathered at The Opera House in Wellington on Tuesday evening to experience an evening with Copeland, yet it quickly evolved to be much more than a standard question-and-answer session. Before the show, various compositions of Copland's played, from Roxanne by The Police to music from some of his film scores. Listening to Copeland's work, which spans multiple genres, it is evident that it all contains Copeland's distinctive je ne sais quoi, an energy and spirit that he weaves throughout his plethora of works. After a brief introduction over the PA, Copeland strode on stage, and was met with an excited round of applause and cheers from the audience, the kind of greeting one would expect after seeing an old friend again after many years. It was immediately evident that he was in great spirits, full of energy and eager to get started. After a short slideshow of old home videos and photos from his childhood, he introduced Australian musician and broadcaster Sarah Tout, whose role it was to be the 'ringmaster and lion tamer' for the evening by facilitating the conversation.
The first part of the show saw Copeland talking about his early childhood, his father's career as a spy, and how he found himself drawn to music and the drums. Yet this was not your average question-and-answer session; Copeland is very animated, and brings as much energy and passion to his storytelling as he does to his playing. He clarified in the first few minutes that there wouldn't be any musical performances taking place, yet he had the audience spellbound for over two hours with his reminisces, self-deprecating humour, and tongue-in-cheek comments about a certain former collaborator. For fans of The Police, he went into how they managed to capture lightning in a bottle when he found just the right musicians for the band, as well as the trials and tribulations of the trio during the height of their fame and their ensuing reunion two decades later.
At the end of the first half of the show, the audience was given the opportunity to submit questions to be answered in the second half, with several dozen people queuing up to write down their most pressing questions in the hopes that they might be chosen. Copeland's energy didn't wane at all during the second part, which started with a series of rapid-fire questions about his favourite New Zealand band (Split Enz), whether he had tried a feijoa (a what?) and why New Zealanders are better than Australians (because everyone is so friendly). Then it was time to dish some dirt on the reunion of The Police in the 2000s, which Copeland recalled with brutal honesty and humour. Looking around the theatre, it was evident that the audience was spellbound and hanging on his every word.
Copeland reiterated several times during the show that he became a drummer because he wanted to hit things and be loud. But watching him stride across the stage, and sit on the edge of his chair as he spoke, he appeared to be just as comfortable taking centre stage as he is behind his drum kit. He is both articulate and charming, with the incredible gift of telling stories that are as fascinating and engrossing as they are amusing. I suspect that no matter how many times Copeland presents this show, he will never run out of stories and material, or the desire to tell them in such an engaging way. Suffice to say that Have I Said Too Much? The Police, Hollywood, and Other Adventures provides a candid glimpse into one of the most accomplished and intriguing figures in the history of contemporary music. And with a life as full and fascinating as Copeland's, these stories are best coming straight from the proverbial horse's mouth. A must-see show.
Stewart Copeland - Have I said Too Much? Tour 2026 Tour PR