By the time September 2007 came around The Police were in the midst of their mega successful reunion tour.

“It’s been incredible. It’s actually a pretty good band we’ve got here and the audiences are going nuts. There is so much excitement around the show that it is damned amusing. I’d never heard of double stadium acts before. There are arena bands and stadium acts and this time we’re actually doing double stadiums!

“We played one baseball stadium – twice. I read in a newspaper that we’re the biggest- selling ticket on Ticket Master. Number two is a Walt Disney ice show. That takes a little bit of the zing out of it. If it was the Rolling Stones, U2 or Madonna, that would be something to be chuffed about.”

When asked how the band’s first rehearsals back together went, Stewart admitted: “Hell. Each of us has been president of our own universe for the last two decades, so we now have to get used to each other again. But we are kind of over that now. At first it was quite amazing for a guitarist or a bass player to turn around to me and say ‘Could you play your hi-hat instead of your ride cymbal?’ To which the only logical response is ‘F*** you! Okay, you play my hi-hat or my ride cymbal, a**hole!’ This was the sort of dialogue that we began with to mutual astonishment – ‘You can’t talk to me that way!’

For much more from Stewart pick up the September issue of Rhythm.