Sting 2010 concert in Dubai - Sting delves deep into his back catalogue to satisfy fans in Dubai...
Did you know that Meydan boasts one of the world's largest TV screens?
The beast is more than 100m wide and 11m high and allows racegoers the chance to get up close and personal with the action on the track.
All I can say is thank goodness it was there on Thursday night or there wouldn't be a review of this concert at all.
The thing is, I don't feel as if I can give a balanced view of the concert. Primarily because I don't really feel like I was at a concert.
That isn't a criticism of Sting. Not at all. When he eventually took to the stage at around midnight, Mr Sumner (an ill advised encore version of his classic 'Desert Rose' sans Rai singer aside) played a very tight set full of passion and energy.
He opened at a high tempo with a rousing version of 'Message in a Bottle' and delved deep into his back catalogue to satisfy fans from his days in the Police to the present.
'Roxanne', 'The Shape of My Heart', 'Walking on the Moon', 'Englishman in New York' were all wheeled out to great effect.
Sting himself was clearly enjoying himself, every line of every song was punctuated with his mischevious grin, every octave of that unique and powerful voice got an outing.
He had the crowd in front of the stage eating out of his hand. Leading thousands of people in handclapping sessions and inviting them to fill in the missing lines from his myriad of hit singles.
From my vantage point, it seemed the concert was great. And that's the problem.
I had to rely on the big screen. And believe me, the atmosphere where I was sitting was nothing like that at the front.
"Sting, I love you. If only I could see you" was the ironic cry from a fan in the 'Premium Seating' area. And she was right, the layout of the venue made it impossible for the energy from the front to flow to the back.
Because they (understandably) wanted to protect the racetrack, the organisers took the decision to have a 50m gap between the front section and the back. I'll be blunt, it doesn't work.
Having two distinct banks of audience meant the energy and interaction that live performances thrive on just dissipated. The stage itself was more than 150m from where I was sitting (the edge of the standing areas were probably 200m away).
So no matter what the quality of music on offer was, I couldn't help but feel disconnected from the show. It was hard for the vibe to travel across the empty patches of dirt and grass (not helped by the fact I could see people eating sushi and watching through the window behind me).
Visible distractions such as these were high because of the distance from the stage.
I remembered the track lights glaring in the distance, people around me sipping Starbuck's style lattes and ambulances reversing at speed along the empty track and past the stage. Really, I should remember the intricate jazz laden piano solo during 'Roxanne' and Stings magnificent Harem trousers.
The decision to host concerts at the new Meydan complex is a good idea. It could even be a great idea, as Dubai is crying out for a sizeable outdoor venue with good infrastructure.
But it was the first time anything like this has ever been staged at Meydan so it is a learning curve for everyone.
© Gulf News by Adam Flinter
