Sting: "The Last Ship" - Third and Final Concert Added at the Sage Gateshead in Newcastle...

February 09, 2015

Due to phenomenal public demand, an additional performance by Sting will take place Saturday, April 25 at 2PM to benefit the Sage Gateshead's 10th Birthday Appeal.

Performing songs from "The Last Ship," his latest album and acclaimed musical of the same name, the three concerts at Sage Gateshead are the only UK performances of their kind and are kindly supported by Cunard, Shepard Offshore, Port of Tyne, Gateshead Council and North Tyneside Council.

Sting.com Fan Club members will have an opportunity to purchase tickets in advance of the general public beginning Wednesday, February 11 at 10AM (local). Sage Supporters will be able to purchase tickets in advance on Thursday February 12 from 10AM via Sage Gateshead's Ticket Office on 0191 443 4661. Tickets will go on sale to the general public Friday, February 13 from 10AM at www.sagegateshead.com and also at Sage Gateshead's Ticket Office on 0191 443 4661. Benefit ticket prices range cost £49.50, £75 and £85. Special VIP packages are also available.

Announced in August 2014, Sting's performances at Sage Gateshead became two of the fastest selling concerts the iconic Tyneside venue had put on. Together, these North East performances are a unique opportunity for UK audiences to hear Sting and his band perform songs from “The Last Ship," inspired by Tyneside and his hometown of Wallsend.

"The Last Ship" tells a universal story drawn from Sting's own childhood experiences growing up beside the Swan Hunter Shipyard. Originally workshopped with local musicians and actors at Newcastle's Live Theatre before being performed on Broadway, it was only fitting that these songs be performed for a North East audience.

“‘The Last Ship’ is a musical allegory set in Wallsend, the town where I was born and raised”, says Sting. "The demise of industry - not only in shipyards like Tyneside and Gdansk, but also great manufacturing centres like Detroit - has been well documented and the effect of that demise on the identity and future of local communities particularly resonates with me. I'm very much looking forward to bringing these songs and stories home."

Many of the region's best loved musicians including Jimmy Nail, The Wilson Family and fiddle and Northumbrian pipe player Kathryn Tickell will join Sting onstage.

The exciting homecoming of "The Last Ship" has attracted significant support from partners. Cunard, the international cruiseline company who commissioned many legendary liners from the Swan Hunter Shipyard including Mauretania leads the support along with Shepherd Offshore, Port of Tyne, Gateshead Council and North Tyneside Council.

Proceeds from all performances will benefit Sage Gateshead's 10th Birthday Appeal, ensuring a continuing musical legacy for future generations across the region to enjoy.

Sting added: "The North East has a great creative atmosphere and legacy. Sage Gateshead sits proudly at its cultural heart and I'm always happy to support it."

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