Sting & Shaggy: The 44/876 Tour

An unlikely duo performed in St. Margarethen in front of an audience of over 5,000 - Englishman meets reggae fun: Sting and Shaggy in the quarry...

Can this work? When the big names Sting and Shaggy meet, it's also a merging of very different worlds. While the former Police singer has always demonstrated a strong affinity for reggae, fans viewed their first joint album, "44/876," with a high degree of scepticism. On Wednesday, the duo performed with their band in the Roman quarry in St. Margarethen.

One thing is clear: The performance was considerably less awkward than one might have imagined, not only thanks to the accomplished Sting musicians behind them – including drummer Josh Freese and, of course, the father-son duo Dominic and Rufus Miller on guitars. In light drizzle and with hardly any delay, the unlikely pair of Sting and Shaggy entered the stage, one with the obligatory bass around his waist, the other in a stylish outfit and with the Jamaican flag at the ready.

They opened with an "Englishman in New York," where Shaggy immediately took centre stage. Although the setlist was heavily influenced by Sting and Police songs, the 49-year-old repeatedly chimed in, grabbing a verse here and a chorus there. His own oeuvre was soon served up with "Oh Carolina," and it quickly became clear: While musically, everyone was looking forward to "Message In A Bottle" and the like, when it came to the party atmosphere, the Jamaican was unbeatable.

Hit after hit followed, with Sting firmly rooted in his place as the pacesetter and inspiration, while Shaggy scoured the stage and finally, for the joint song "To Love And Be Loved," brought the 5,000 or so people in the quarry to their feet. From that point on, the crowd danced, clapped, and sang along – albeit somewhat subdued by the external circumstances, but certainly with enthusiasm.

The extent to which Sting's work was influenced by reggae was clearly evident on several occasions – especially on tracks like "Walking On The Moon," while songs of the calibre of "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" were delivered in a particularly funky style that evening. The mix of serious music and light-hearted entertainment ran at full speed for a long time, even if long-time Sting fans probably cringed a little at the odd off-key note from Shaggy.

How much fun the two have being on the road together was revealed by "Crooked Tree": Sting dressed up in a prison uniform, while Shaggy played the stern judge in a robe and white wig. The nearby Mörbisch sent his regards. When, at the end of the regular set, songs like "Hey Sexy Lady," "Boombastic," and "Roxanne" flowed almost seamlessly into one another, mixed up and intertwined, it was a tough thing to digest.
 But that didn't dampen the cheers: The encore section featured a thunderous "Desert Rose," which Shaggy had just followed with the crisp "It Wasn't Me." But why not combine a world music-infused piece about lost love and longing with a song about an affair? Sting and Shaggy clearly had no reservations. After less than two hours, the night was over, and one could say: We were there, it was fun. Whether you hope for a repeat, however, is up to you to decide.

(c) Sued Tirol News

Sting & Shaggy: The Lightness of Being...

Even the cool temperatures and rain didn't stop around 5,000 fans from seeing The Police legend Sting perform alongside 90s reggae star Shaggy at the Roman quarry in St. Margarethen. The intriguing combo impressed with their summery lightness and fun – depth or pretension were, of course, absent.

There was a huge outcry when The Police legend Sting suddenly released an album with the long-forgotten reggae-pop musician Shaggy at the beginning of the year, and what was initially intended as a fun project eventually turned into a far-reaching tour. While Sting apologists vented their anger over how the rather wide-legged Jamaican would fit with the politically conscious, somewhat in-the-back cult bassist, they forgot that Sting has often made clever detours throughout his rich career. Excursions into classical, jazz, and world music span his respectable oeuvre, so the indefinitely extended vacation in Jamaica doesn't seem particularly significant anymore.

A bromance developed between the two different personalities, whose light-hearted magic quickly transferred to the Austrian audience. The picturesque quarry in St. Margarethen had been sold out for weeks, as the single "Don't Make Me Wait" from their joint album "44/876" quickly became ingrained in the listeners' minds. And indeed, any doubts and fears that the whole thing might degenerate into a sonic embarrassment, whispered by some audience members, were practically washed away right from the start with Sting and/or Police classics like "Englishman in New York" and "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic." Here's the working-class hero in a staid T-shirt, with an enviable figure, bleached hair, and tinkering with the bass; there's the juvenile "Pope of Jamaica" (Sting's exact words) with a floor-length coat, Louis Vuitton belt, massive gold watch, and Lou Bega-esque hat. Here's the personified rhythm machine; there's the attention-seeking hustler — a mix that actually works more than adequately.

While Sting succeeds wonderfully in adding new facets to his well-known song arrangements, Shaggy performs most of the songs with his rumbling bass voice, which surprisingly has lost none of its uniqueness and power. Even though big hits like "Hey Sexy Lady," the successful ballad "Angel," and "It Wasn't Me" are almost 20 years old, they create a great atmosphere in a live setting. In addition to the joint songs, works from Gordon Sumner's extensive discography naturally dominate the majority of the set. "Message In A Bottle," for example, has even more reggae influences than usual, and Shaggy is often included as the lead vocalist in the canon. The two are said to have created around 20 songs during their six weeks in the studio, and they bring exactly this spontaneity and joy to the stage in St. Margarethen.

One song flows into the next, and every now and then a vocally outstanding background singer from the R&B genre shines, or the rhythmically impeccable backing band pleasantly takes centre stage. In "Crooked Tree," there's even time for a humorous game of dress-up. The fact that the two then combine the Police hit "Roxanne" with Shaggy's number one hit "Boombastic" in a medley is almost bold and sends a chill down the spine of many a Sting fan. Are they even allowed to do that? The two simply don't care, because this project primarily stands for fun and light-heartedness, rather than the sophisticated communication of sonorous messages. Accordingly, both avoid big words and storytelling and let the music speak for itself.

The get-together of the two talented musicians thus has the characteristics of a humorous jam session in front of paying guests. As light and lively as the duo's music is throughout the 105 minutes, the show lacks a certain consistency and urgency. Only towards the end do the two jokers really take themselves seriously, playing the songs "Desert Rose" and "Every Breath You Take" with delicate sincerity. Rubbing shoulders against each other, they once again visibly demonstrate their close friendship and radiate pure joie de vivre. No matter how long or short-lived this liaison turns out to be, for Shaggy, just before his 50th birthday, it is a career resurrection he no longer thought possible, and Sting once again proves himself to be an elusive jack of all trades. It may not have been "every little thing they did was magic," but this get-together was more than enough for a rhythmically relaxed open-air evening.

(c) Krone by Robert Fröwein