Sting: My Songs Tour: 2021 - 2023

Sting achieves glory at the Concert Music Festival...

The former frontman of The Police sells out the Concert Music Festival with an unforgettable performance.

Sting's concert was one of the most anticipated concerts of the 5th edition of the Concert Music Festival, and you only had to venture into the surroundings of Sancti Petri to see the great excitement that permeated the atmosphere. Tickets had been sold out for two years, but thousands of people gathered to enjoy Sting's exquisite live performance.

Many well-known faces, such as José Luis García Cossío, better known in the carnival world as El Selu, Pepa Bueno, journalist and current editor of El País, and Nadia Calviño, First Vice President of the Government and Minister of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation, among other personalities, joined this great musical event in Sancti Petri.

The bassist and former leader of The Police had already been to San Fernando almost 30 years ago, in a first step toward opening the borders of the Bay of Cádiz to international rock. Since then, Sting hadn't set foot in the province of Cádiz again until this Thursday at the Concert Music Festival in Chiclana.

Like a castaway reaching the shore, Sting launched "Message in a Bottle" into the swell of humanity, creating a huge wave to the rhythm of this huge hit that defined The Police's career. This song is one of Sting's favorites and is the first single from the group's second album, Reggatta de Blanc (1979). The audience's response was immediate, and they joined Sting, singing and dancing to one of the most iconic lyrics of his career.

Gordon Thomas Summer, known worldwide as Sting, fronted The Police until embarking on his solo career. In the mid-1970s, he created his personal signature, blending punk, jazz, reggae, and rock. Sting's style on the stage of the Concert Music Auditorium resembled an Englishman in New York, dazzling his audience with the elegance of this other huge hit included on his second solo album, "Nothing Like the Sun."

Returning for a moment to The Police, Sting delved back into those wonderful years to remind us that Every little thing she does is magic, or in other words, every little thing she does is magical; just like he did with his songs.

Without a good command of Spanish, he addressed the audience to wish them good night, after the adrenaline rush he'd had at the Concert Music Festival. He also took the opportunity to introduce, one by one, the musicians in his incredible band, consisting of Dominic Miller (guitar), Josh Freese (drums), Rufus Miller (guitar), Kevon Webster (keyboard), Shane Sager (harmonica), Melissa Musique, and Gene Noble (backing vocals). Still clutching his inseparable bass and whistling to the rhythm of "If It's Love," he continued with this cheerful and engaging song from his latest album, "The Bridge." At the end, he addressed his audience again: "Now I'm going to sing in Spanish, it's called "Por su amor," conveying romantic sentiment among his loyal fans.

The energy gauge began to rise when Sting intensified his bass chords and got fully into the more electric rhythm of another of his new songs, Rushing Water and If I ever lose my faith in you, from his solo career during the 90s. Without losing faith, he performed one of the best ballads of the 90s, Fields of Gold, also from his solo album and in which Sting leaves aside his rock star image to give himself body and soul to a sweeter song.

At 70 years old, Sting is in perfect physical shape, impressing those who enjoyed his performance on stage. Welcoming some of his musicians, such as Shane Sager on harmonica to play "Brand New Day" or backing vocalist Gene Noble performing "Shape of My Heart," he won the audience over. All of this led up to the "fun" song "Heavy Cloud No Rain," which was concluded by backing vocalist Melissa Musique, leaving Sting visibly impressed and on his knees due to the impressive musical quality of her voice.

Walking on the moon without any vertigo, Sting filled the Concert Music Festival venue with more reggae and rock rhythms with The Police's hit "Walking on the Moon." The audience surrendered to his music and couldn't stop dancing to his songs. The catharsis came when he launched into the hit "So Lonely," one of his most anticipated and danced-to songs of the night. Introducing the chords of "Everything's Gonna Be Alright," to achieve the slow rhythm of reggae alternating with the power of punk rock, Sting took over the venue like a true genius—despite feeling, ironically, "so lonely."

With more and more accompaniment, Sting played the final songs of the night, such as the exotic track Desert Rose from his 1999 album Brand New Day, in which he draws attention to Latin and Arabic cultures, reflecting this in the rhythms that accompany the lyrics. Taking with him "the memory of hidden hearts and souls," Sting delved into The Police's "King of Pain" before taking the audience's breath away with the classic "Every Breath You Take."

It was time to say goodbye. With the venue shining brightly, Sting and his musicians stepped forward onto the stage, holding hands and simultaneously bowing to their audience. With this bow, he thanked the audience for their incredible reception, amidst the standing ovation and thunderous applause that kept him from leaving. With an intense Roxanne, which immersed his fans in the intense youth and successes of The Police, the iconic Sting bid farewell to a glorious night for the Concert Music Festival.

(c) Diario De Cadiz by Ana Cristina Ruiz Galvín