Sting review: My Songs Australian tour at Kings Park and Botanic Garden...
When Sting belted out the words “I’m an alien” at his sold-out Kings Park show on Friday, for a moment it felt amusingly accurate.
Freakishly talented, the line in his iconic song Englishman in New York hit an ethereal, almost otherwordly quality.
The feeling is further belied by his ageless voice and improbably cut guns.
He may have been in a tight T-shirt and skinny jeans, but Sting fans know just how old this septuagenarian is because he has been the soundtrack to our lives — his songs steeped in decades-old memories.
These extraordinary — and at times contradictory — qualities combined on Friday night into a masterpiece, bar for the fact he did not sing the hit song Russians.
Sting looks much younger than his years in skin-tight jeans and a T-shirt.
While the crowd was mostly aged in their 50s-plus, dressed in 80s fashion favourites of flamboyant florals and denim jeans, the set had them in high-jinx mode.
There was plenty of jumping, dancing and cheering from the opening song Message in a Bottle, followed by the equally popular Englishman in New York and Every Little Thing She Does in Magic.
Sting then somewhat apologetically introduced a few new songs from his 2021 album The Bridge which, he joked, might become hits one day.
Most of the new songs were pleasant enough, with the exception of the hauntingly beautiful What Could Have Been, which he wrote for Netflix show Arcane.
The concert was sold-out for good reason.
Sting’s son Joe Sumner is a foot-stompingly enjoyable warm-up act, and is not to be missed.
His set moves from pop to whimsy to country with effortless ease, and he later joins his father on stage for a duet of King of Pain.
Sumner’s effervescent Festival-style energy is quite the juxtaposition to his old man’s intensity.
Sting’s back-up singer sang a snippet of Lucid World by American rapper Juice Wrld during the Shape of My Heart hit, showing how easily his music can move with the times.
The concert quickly returned to some of his biggest hits, like Fields of Gold and Wrapped Around Your Finger and Every Breath You Take, with fan favourite Roxanne delivered in the encore.
(c) The West Australian
No shortage of solo hits and classics from The Police. Sting Leaves Nothing On The Table At First Stop Of Aussie Tour...
An Englishman in Australia equipped with an arsenal of hits like few others, Sting cut a lean and commanding figure as he casually strolled onto the stage at Perth's Kings Park for the first show of his My Songs tour down under.
The Police legend, who has never been one for fanfare, strolled out wearing a headset mic, skinny black jeans and a tight grey t-shirt and paced the front of the stage in a spotlight to Message In A Bottle.
With one foot resting atop a foldback speaker, he firmly plucked away at his bass, offering up his trademark vocals as the song's melody gripped the audience.
He took a bow as if to wink to the audience, and harmonica ushered in fan favourite Englishman In New York, Sting belting out its chorus while subtly shaking his hips and then raising the neck of his bass to dive headfirst into its catchy runs.
Delicate piano from keyboardist Kevon Webster rang out through a wash of cymbals, and the entire venue was bouncing in time to Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic, with punters jumping, dancing, clapping and screaming. Through all the noise, though, Sting's bass always had a solid presence, proving to be a driving force throughout the night.
"You've heard some hits... I've got some bad news for you... I'm gonna play some new songs," he said with a grin. "You never know; they might be hits one day."
Perched upon a stool, he changed gears and turned down a road less travelled by many punters, playing If It's Love and Loving You, both from the 2021 album The Bridge.
Tight verses opened to soaring choruses in Rushing Water, another new song that allowed backing vocalists Melissa Musique and Gene Noble to really shine, before ‘90s favourite If I Ever Lose My Faith In You had punters thrusting their arms into the air as Sting plucked away, visibility delighted.
He wasn't going to let anyone forget the scope of his hits, frequently offering up tracks such as Fields Of Gold, occasionally accompanied by much-welcomed anecdotes. Half the audience sat in silence during the hit while the other half whispered along.
"I wrote this song for the millennium," Sting said, introducing Brand New Day and challenging the youngest member of the band, Shane Sager, to undertake Stevie Wonder's harmonica part.
By the song's end, punters had whiplash from glancing back and forth between Sager and Sting, who gave one of his most compelling performances of the night during the track, digging into his bass while barking its uplifting and fast-paced lyrics.
Sting leaned back while popping his bass to the funky groove of Heavy Cloud No Rain, knowing he had the audience exactly where he wanted them. A highlight of the evening, Musique graced the front of the stage towards the end of the song to unleash soaring vocals that led to a show-stopping jam.
From that point, it didn't matter what Sting was doing - whether gently laying melodies over Dominic Miller’s delicate acoustic guitar in Shape Of My Heart or performing the theatrical number What Could Have Been to the vision of the Netflix series it features on, Arcane (an animation that no doubt most in attendance were seeing for the first time) - the audience was captivated.
The venue finally matched Sting's energy with Walking On The Moon, many rushing to the front of the stage, ready to scream the chorus of So Lonely back at the singer.
"Ya leel" pulsated throughout the venue in Desert Rose, punters possessed by the beat from drummer Zach Jones, before opener Joe Sumner returned to sing King Of Pain with his father.
The evening was cemented by closing numbers and seminal classics Every Breath You Take and Roxanne, the latter of which Sting joked, "I have no idea what you want to hear" before its punchy twang echoed out into the night.
"I always finish the evening with something quiet and thoughtful," Sting declared, equipped with an acoustic guitar to serenade the audience one last time, performing Fragile while everyone reflected on what was a damn near perfect evening.
(c) TheMusic.com.au by Dan Cribb
Sting with Joe Sumner – King’s Park Perth...
Kings Park as an outdoor concert venue serves Perth extremely well, its lush surroundings and tranquil setting allows a full emersion of the senses when it comes to live music. The 6,000 plus sold-out crowd were about to have a sensory “overload” at this beautiful site enjoying the start of a 10-date National tour. Fans filter in early, eager to find their seat or space on the perfectly manicured lawn – looking for their view that will create another music memory to reflect upon.
The support for this National tour is Joe Sumner, a name that the faithful would find familiar with and stock that any musician would welcome in their musical stable. Joe delivered a tailored package filled to the brim with entertainment, lined with strong vocals and technical guitar, Joe primed the punters. Understand that Joe was keen to carve his own path out on the music scene it was hard not to see the comparisons and admire the unique blend of which his talented surname held.
The house music slowly creeps in on the back of Joe’s set and the fans begin to readjust, endure refreshments from the bar or grab the obligatory toilet break before the main event. You really get an understanding just how much music means to people by just how quickly they move between “sets”. Like a migration of birds, it serves purpose and has a high degree of importance – after all this is “Sting” we are talking about, and this bird has not been back to our shores for a few years!
The lighting tower and sound desk come to life, like a blooming flower during the first light of day, silhouettes saunter across the stage as the light breaks through. The talent is recognisable – mostly local, we are all in for a treat. Domenic on Guitar, Kevon on keys, Zach on the drums, Shane on the harmonica, backed vocally by Gene and Melissa and the performer that everyone has come to see “Sting”. The crowd erupts, the emotional faucet fully open with passion spilling over the adoring, just when you thought the appreciation could not get greater “Sting” opens with “Message in a bottle” – the faucet is now broken, emotional reflection gushing out with no reprieve in sight... everyone is ecstatic... no one care about that leaking tap!
Sting cuts a formidable figure, molding his body to the same level of his lyrical prowess, you could easily forget that he is 71 years young. Free flowing across the stage, engaging the crowd and cheekily “photo bombing” fans in their pursuit to get the perfect photo of this rock “Icon” – very appreciative and playful.
The song list is calculated and measured – a mix of his solo career (from the back catalogue and some from the new) with dashing’s of “The Police” sprinkled all over the top. As a product of his earlier material, I really enjoyed the newer offerings – they affirmed that “age” has absolutely no bearing on just how good a performer he is (“Rushing Water” being one of my new favourites).
There were so many highlights for me in this show, “Every little thing she does is magic” – had everyone up and out of their chairs. It was a 6000 plus karaoke sing along that was clearly a crowd favourite. “Fields of gold” saw all the mobile phones light up on the hill and the reserved seating like a sea of moving stars, coupled with an amazing show of golden lights it truly was something to behold. “Man on the moon” the 1979 classic went collectively off for me, I sung so hard and I was not alone, the rest of the faithful masked just how bad of a singer I am (thank god). Domenic stole the spotlight in this song with some spectacular string work with the crowd showing their admiration. I loved the forward introduction of both Melissa and Gene – the musical dualling between them and Sting on both “Heavy cloud no rain” and “Shape of my heart”. Both came into their own upping the tempo and the diverse vocal range giving “Sting” smiles at the end of each engagement. “Wrapped around your finger” is one of my all time favourites... I welcomed the change of tempo as it was needed for me to catch my breath.
“Every little step you take” 1982 hit rounded out the main set – smiles plastered on every one’s face knowing full well that there was an encore coming. Which songs would be chosen? Such and extensive back catalogue of award-winning hits it was impossible to guess. Sting re-emerged once again awaking the emotional musical monster lurking in all of us... we did not want it to stop – 10 more songs! Please...
“Roxanne” came straight out of the gates rubbed with hints of reggae morphed into fiery phoenix released to roam free amongst the adoring fans. It had been patiently waiting in its cage for the whole set and Sting finally set it free. Rounding out the encore was “Fragile” a beautiful song rich in meaning and purpose sung by the man of the moment – just him, his classical guitar, a spotlight and thousands of revering fans. A fitting end.
Sting at Kings Park was a concert that I will never forget... music gives the listener the ability to transcend – it evokes emotion and gives power to re-live memories. There were several instances in his performance that I got lost in the moment, singing and absorbing the lyrics and notes. If you love beautiful music weighted with significance purpose whether it is from “The Police” back catalogue or “Sting’s” extensive solo work (older to new) you need to catch this show... Sting has crafted a deliberate journey that will awake your sense every way possible and leave you singing his hits all the way back home.
Australia get ready, you are about to have your mind blown.
Thank you Sting... Keep writing amazing music and we (Perth) will keep loving it
(c) The Rock Pit by Rossco Hunter
Sting at Kings Park and Botanic Garden...
It’s been eight years since international rock icon Sting graced us with his presence and the fond memories of his last performance on the South Perth foreshore double-billed with Paul Simon have only just started to dim. On Friday night at Kings Park it was all Sting, with family, as his son Joe Sumner was joining him on the tour for his My Songs live album, a tour started in May 2019, with dates cancelled and rescheduled in 2020 and 2021, before it got back on the road last year.
Revellers packed the lush gardens with folding chairs and picnic hampers and positioned themselves in preparation for an evening with a “star” under the stars. The demographic was certainly on the older side, but with experience comes knowledge, and what better way to take in a concert than being comfortable on the lawn with cheese and a bottle of wine? The sun had set on a hot summer’s day, turning into a refreshing cool clear night. Perth doesn’t get better than this!
There is no denying the star power of Sting. From his early beginnings hitting major success with his reggae/rock/punk band The Police to being a Hollywood movie star (who could forget his role as the evil Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen in David Lynch’s 1984 adaptation of Frank Herbet’s Dune?) to tantric yoga master and political activist, to his illustrious solo career penning some of the biggest tunes of the 80s and beyond, Sting has been there at the forefront of popular music – up there amongst the best of the best.
Opening the night was Joe Sumner, son of Sting. The former lead singer of the London-based rock band Fiction Plane, Sumner played a concise set of seven songs including his most well-known track You, You, You and his latest single Looking For You, Looking for Me. The strength of his voice was evident, holding out long notes as the audience appreciated his skill with rousing cheers.
Sting appeared on stage with his signature 1957 Fender precision bass guitar and “Madonna” style head microphone meaning that he wasn't limited to a centre stage mic and was able to roam freely to the corners of the stage to greet each section to the audience. Seeing the legend in the flesh was almost surreal. At 71 years of age he looked amazing as only Sting could. It only took him half a beat to warm up and transition from lanky-looking old guy into full power rock star in the first song, The Police classic Message in a Bottle. The hits kept coming with An Englishman in New York and Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic, before he took a stool to address the crowd.
He oozed charisma and confidence as he joked that the next song was a new song. “I know, I know,” he said. “Just give it a chance, it might be a hit one day.” He went on to muse about “what makes a hit?” and regaled a past anecdote about hearing a window cleaner outside his hotel room whistling a tune. “What is that tune?” he thought, “I know that tune? It's Roxanne! That's how you know you've got a hit!”
Sting then introduced a song that he had written for the Netflix series Arcane. The atmospheric sombre tone of the song, What Could Have Been, was sonically moving. The performers were backlit with anime clips from the show and added visually striking light sequences, with the lead guitar breaks taking it into a futuristic sci-fi height. It was moments like this where you really noticed how on point the light design and sound quality were.
Sting's backing band were phenomenal, comprised of his long-time guitarist Dominic Miller, keyboardist Kevon Webster, harmonica player Shane Sager, drummer Zach Jones and backing singers Melissa Musique and Gene Noble, each getting their turn in the spotlight to show off their talents, most notably the backing singers who got to step forward for their own solos. Musique stepped forward to join Sting for Heavy Cloud No Rain and Noble for Shape of my Heart.
Joe Sumner returned to the stage to help out with The Police track King of Pain and stayed on for the last track, which was of course, Every Breath You Take. The sensible seated sections of the audience rose to their feet to dance and clap along. After the final bows, they exited the stage, but there was the lingering feeling – had they forgotten one key song?
After the audience called for the encore, Sting and the band returned to the stage. “Now I don't know what song you want us to play?” he joked as the guitarist rhythmically strummed the chords to Roxanne. “Oh no, I can't, my throat!” Sting teased before falling into the beat and raising the first verse, inviting the audience to sing along.
Sting then finished the evening on classical guitar with the delicate Fragile, showing off his skill on the instrument, soloing in beautiful Spanish flamenco style. It was a majestic night in the Perth summer with the perfect soundtrack that could have lasted all night, but with so many favourite hits played, no one could have asked for more.
(c) X-Press by Anthony Jackson
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