Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, composer, and eternal raconteur, Stewart Copeland is heading back to Australia in January 2026 with his spoken-word tour Have I Said Too Much?. Swapping the drum kit for a comfortable chair, the legendary Police drummer will deliver stories from a life lived at full tilt — from the combustible chemistry that fuelled one of the world’s biggest bands to his forays into film, opera and beyond. With trademark humour and candour, Copeland reflects on the tensions that made The Police great, the reggae records that reshaped their sound, and why he’s prouder of his seven children than any Grammy on his shelf.
Ahead of his January 2026 Have I Said Too Much? tour of Australia, Stewart Copeland caught up with Australian Musician editor Greg Phillips for a chat about the upcoming tour, the method in which The Police songs were created and so much more
Few drummers in rock history have left an imprint as deep as Stewart Copeland. As the rhythmic architect behind The Police, his crisp snare cracks and inventive grooves helped define a generation. Yet in 2026, it won’t be the drums that bring him back to Australia — it’ll be his voice, wit, and a lifetime of stories as he tours his spoken-word show Have I Said Too Much?.
“I’ve always enjoyed talking — probably too much,” Copeland laughs down the line from his California home. “It started at dinner parties. People seemed entertained by the stories, and eventually someone said, ‘Why don’t you just get on stage and do it?’ So I tried it in England, and it went great. Sold-out houses, standing ovations. Turns out I can tell a story almost as well as I can hit things.”
Copeland’s show isn’t a formal theatre monologue nor an unstructured ramble. He’ll be joined by an interviewer, Sarah Tout each night, someone tasked with keeping him on point as he darts between tales of his CIA-agent father, chasing giraffes on the Serengeti, and, of course, his adventures with a little trio called The Police. “I’ve got stories going in every direction,” he says. “Their job is to make sure I don’t waffle on for hours.”
Inevitably, talk turns to the combustible magic of The Police. Copeland is candid about the tension that defined the band: “We now understand that tension was our secret sauce. We made music for totally different reasons. Sting was about songs, lyrics, messages. I couldn’t care less — I was banging stuff, chasing cool basslines, cool melodies. Andy [Summers] was on another mission again. We clashed, but that clash created something no one of us could have achieved alone.”
It was Copeland, in fact, who introduced reggae into the band’s DNA. He recalls lending Sting his stereo and Bob Marley collection one New Year’s Eve. “Next rehearsal, he was a whole different musician,” Copeland grins. That influence would help shape hits like Roxanne, Walking on the Moon and So Lonely.
The stories spill out effortlessly: memories of The Police’s 1984 Melbourne Showgrounds gig (“one of the best we ever played”), the serendipity of recording drum parts in a single take, and his enduring bond with a certain snare drum that became so legendary Tama turned it into a signature model. “Every studio’s got one now,” he says proudly. “That high crack you’ve heard on countless records — that’s the one.”
Beyond the band, Copeland has scored films, TV shows, operas, even video games. He doesn’t hesitate when asked which industry is dirtier: “Movie business, no contest. Higher stakes, more backstabbing. Music folk are saints compared to Hollywood.” Opera, he insists, is his happy place — “cool toys, full orchestra, singers, stage, and for once the composer is boss.”
And what is he most proud of after all these years? “Of course, The Police. My solo work too. But really, my seven children, five grandchildren, and four grand puppies. They’ll still be there when I’m old. The Grammys won’t check in on me when I’m 80.”
Come January, Copeland will bring his unique brand of storytelling — equal parts comic timing, sharp memory, and rock ‘n’ roll energy — to Australian audiences. Just don’t expect a drum solo. “If I was a guitarist, sure. But I’m not lugging a kit across the world for this,” he laughs. “This time, I get to sit in a comfy chair and talk — and not even need a shower at the end.”
HAVE I SAID TOO MUCH? AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND TOUR DATES 2026:
Sunday 11th January
Regal Theatre, Perth WA
Wednesday 14th January
Forum 2, Melbourne VIC
Friday 16th January
State Theatre, Sydney NSW
Saturday 17th January
The Tivoli, Brisbane QLD
Tuesday 20th January
Opera House, Wellington NZ
Wednesday 21st January
Bruce Mason Centre, Auckland NZ
Tickets and tour information available at: www.birdsrobe.com