Music by rock 'n' roll veteran hasn't lost its sting...
Sting came to Alltel Pavilion on Friday with an awesome band and a terrific performance that set the stanndard for his Brand New Day tour.
The concert featured about half the songs from his 1999 CD. "Brand New Day," starting with "A Thousand Years," plus 1980s classics from his years with The Police. For 100-plus minutes his band kicked out hit after hit.
The crowd, which varied in age from babies to those with either gray or no hair, had no gripes about the performance.
This is the second time I have had the chance to see the veteran rocker and former front man for The Police in concert (the last was in June 1996 in Charlotte). He was better prepared vocally this time. His voice was strong and he hit the right notes, as expected.
His band was tight and performed to the fullest, playing all the hits and having no problem with the current material. The trumpet player was excellent, especially his performances on "Perfect Love... Gone Wrong" and "Moon Over Bourbon Street," from the CD "The Dream of the Blue Turtles." The drummer did the rap portion on "Perfect Love... Gone Wrong" in French - a good touch. Missing was the French singer on "Desert Rose," but the song was still very good. Sadly, the only other thing that was missing was his late keyboardist, Kenny Kirkland, who died only a few years ago.
Four other things highlighted the concert:
Presentation was at near perfection Lights, sound quality, props and how the backdrop changed with each song gave the concert an extra touch.
"Moon Over Bourbon Street" - The props were perfect, with the lights and "moon" shining on the stage. For those who do not know, this song was inspired by Anne Rice and her "Interview With A Vampire" novel.
"Message In A Bottle" at the first encore - Sting did it alone with only his guitar. You felt as if he was performing just for you.
The two "Every" songs and, two "If" songs- "Every Breath You Take," "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic," "If You Love Someone Set Them Free" and "If I Ever Lose My Faith In You."
Sting has aged gracefully, continuing to write new music and getting the best out of his band as well out of himself.
(c) The Rocky Mount Telegram by Chuck Hatfield
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