Sting & Shaggy: The 44/876 Tour

Sting & Shaggy bring a summer feeling to Mainz's Volkspark...

Rock legend Sting and raggamuffin Shaggy provided the highlight of Mainz's summer concert season at Mainz's Volkspark. Accompanied by an all-star band, the duo played a potpourri of their own songs and the biggest hits from both camps in the sunshine.

Sting is gracing the Rhine-Main region for the third time in the past five years. After the Back to Bass party at the Zollhafen site, which has since fallen victim to gentrification, in 2013 and the stop at Wiesbaden's Bowling Green for his extremely rocking album "57th & 9th" in 2016, he is now a guest at Mainz's Volkspark.

The spacious grounds not only offer space for numerous families but also house the large stage. In addition to approximately 9,000 paying guests in the sold-out concert area, numerous onlookers milled around the lawn surrounding the park.

What makes this event so special is the collaboration between Brit Sting and Jamaican-born Shaggy. With their joint album "44/876," released in April, under their belts, the two million-selling artists are now embarking on a tour spanning around thirty gigs.

The duo will be joined by Sting musicians Dominic and Rufus Miller (father and son on guitars), drummer Josh Freese, and Shaggy bandmates Melissa Musique (backing vocals), Gene Noble (backing vocals), and keyboardist Kevon Webster.

Reggae represents the connecting element between the 49-year-old pop musician, known as a party animal, and the pale 66-year-old rocker. To vent about Shaggy's reggae affinity would be like wearing dreadlocks to Kingston, but Sting's reggae roots also run deep. The off-beat already complemented the punk and new wave sound during The Police's days and also played an important role during his solo career.

As we've known since long before Yin and Yang, joie de vivre and contemplation are two sides of the same coin. Accordingly, the program consists of half The Police/Sting numbers, nine songs from the joint album, and a few Shaggy smashes.

After the support act of young, up-and-coming singer/songwriter Alex Francis, who, along with a backing band, receives hearty applause, the show kicks off promptly at 8 p.m. Hands go up for "Englishman In New York," and Shaggy, with his variation on the lyrics ("Jamaican In New York"), sets the tone for the next 110 minutes.

Here, the powerful-voiced, introverted Brit; there, the spontaneous Jamaican, who doesn't quite nail every note. In general, the mix emphasizes the vocals. While every instrument can be heard, the musicians operate in the background, making the band's sound seem somewhat one-dimensional and lacking in dynamics. Only during the selected solo spots does the mixer turn up the volume.

The code for the title track of their joint album, "44/876," is a combination of the area codes for Great Britain and Jamaica, underscoring the international nature of the project. However, the song, like the following "Morning Is Coming," remains close to the original.

With "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic," feet start tapping. The mashup of "Oh Carolina" and "We'll Be Together" raises eyebrows among some Sting purists, but brings a smile to most and noticeably lightens the mood.

The love trilogy of "Can't Find Love," "Love Is The 7th Wave," and "To Love And Be Loved" provides a calming oasis before the heart rates and smartphones of those present soar during "Message In A Bottle." This is where the band shows its edge for the first time. Father and son Miller briefly duel on guitar, and drummer Josh Freese also proves why Guns N' Roses and Nine Inch Nails have relied on his services.

Shaggy acts as master of ceremonies and initiates a sing-along, in which the audience enthusiastically participates. Keyboardist Webster's bagpipe sound on "Fields Of Gold," on the other hand, will knock your socks off and signal the start of the night to grab a beer or cuddle with your girlfriend.

Either way, the accompanying musicians provide some entertaining sounds. Fittingly for the setting sun, Melissa Musique steps out of the shadows as a backing vocalist and enchants with a short solo performance. Sting's right-hand man, Dominic Miller, is also allowed to coax a few more notes from his six-string than the usual reggae plucking.

The new song, "Gotta Get Back My Baby," has a vibe reminiscent of the Outcast hit "Ms. Jackson" and features another great vocal performance by male backing vocalist Gene Noble. The sultry single "Don't Make Me Wait" not only features a plagiarized "So Lonely" melody, but also entices many a mid-fifty-something to dance with their fiancée. Shaggy's bedtime treat, "Angel," is a great way to lick ice cream.

"Dreaming In The USA" kicks off the political part of the evening. The chorus is reminiscent of Bruce Springsteen and his E Street Band. The duo sings of a utopian America and ends with a pastoral address to the audience, calling for love, peace, and tolerance.

The subsequent show piece frames the strongest song on their joint album, "Crooked Tree." Here, Mr. Lover Lover gets serious, donning a judge's robe and wig and convicting Sting, who is posing as a prison inmate.

"Shape Of My Heart" is less successful, as the Jamaican's voice is subject to considerable fluctuations. "Schepp Of My Heart" would be a more fitting title in this case. Drummer Freese, on the other hand, really lets the drums spin on The Police classic "Walking On The Moon."

Afterwards, the joy of experimentation and the party spirit know no bounds. The atmosphere boils over during "So Lonely" until the track transitions into "Strength Of A Woman." The Sting fans' eyes well up, while most of the audience can't help but laugh.

But this is, as we all know, about love, and love can sometimes be dirty. How the anti-prostitution anthem "Roxanne" fits into the genital legacy of "Boombastic" remains an open question, especially since the band delicately and bluntly hammers the transition. But what doesn't fit, they fix.

In the encores, Sting and Shaggy leave nothing to chance. Each gets to perform a solo hit (the world music anthem "Desert Rose" and the escapist track "It Wasn't Me"). Afterwards, the two musicians embrace during "Every Breath You Take," before a fantastically performed "Fragile" sends the crowd off.

What remains is an evening full of contrasts, brilliant musical interludes, and some profound moments that touched many hearts in the sunshine and lifted even more spirits.

(c) Regioactive by Yan Vogel