Sting 3.0

Sting strikes more than just a chord...

Last night the SunBet Arena became the epicentre of rock as Sting’s 3.0 Tour took to the stage. For many, including myself, this concert was a long-awaited opportunity, especially since I missed his previous performances in South Africa. The evening unfolded into a showcase of Sting’s enduring artistry.

Commencing with Message in a Bottle, we were immediately transported back to the heyday of The Police. Sting’s vocals resonated powerfully with Dominic Miller’s guitar riffs and Chris Maas’s drumming,  emphasising the raw essence of their music.

Following the electrifying opener, If I Ever Lose My Faith in You showcased Sting’s ability to blend introspective lyrics with uplifting melodies.

The setlist was a carefully curated journey through Sting’s expansive career. The evergreen Englishman in New York brought a jazzy flair to the evening, with its distinctive saxophone melodies and the nostalgic Fields of Gold followed with its timelessly haunting melody.

Amidst the classics, Sting introduced I Wrote Your Name (Upon My Heart), a recent addition that melded seamlessly with his iconic repertoire. This track, reflects his continuous evolution as an artist.

Shape of My Heart was a real standout with Dominic’s intricate guitar work complementing Sting’s emotive delivery. The stripped-down arrangement highlighted the song’s lyrical depth, creating an intimate atmosphere within the vast arena.

As the evening neared its end, the energy escalated with performances of Walking on the Moon and Dessert Rose. Both tracks ignited the audience’s fervour and then culminated with Every Breath You Take, a song that has transcended generations, its iconic bassline prompting a massive sing-along.

The trio then returned to the stage with a soulful rendition of Roxanne which transitioned seamlessly into Be Still My Beating Heart. The evening concluded with Fragile, a poignant reminder of music’s power to convey vulnerability and hope.

Witnessing Sting live, especially after previous missed opportunities, was a testament not only to his iconic music but to the enduring connection he has with his audience.

(c) MoreThanFoodMag by Darren Meltz

Sting 3.0 – Repartee And Repertoire, Or Triple Threat... 

There are very few genuine A-listers in popular music and fewer still who are all-time greats in more than one area. Sting started ticking all those boxes as a songwriter, vocalist, bassist and all-round musician nearly 50 years ago and at 73, with an ease borne of working and enjoying success for all of that time, he returns to the stage as part of a power trio – which worked out quite well with the Police.

Chris Maas, behind the kit, is the antithesis of Stewart Copeland – chilled and metronomic rather than mercurial and jazzy. He still offers plenty of personality, but the most obvious and meaningful outcome of his work is the platform he provides for Sting and his long-time collaborator and guitarist Dominic Miller, to enjoy their musical interactions and to be playfully loose around the beat.

Sting looks better – and oozes more cool – than most performers 20 years younger, but does make the occasional concession to the passing of time, adopting a mostly stand-and-deliver approach to his performance and pulling up a barstool for a couple of songs when he feels the need to get off his feet for a few moments. He’s also – entirely unsurprisingly – knocked a couple of semitones off the original keys of some of the songs, which is most notably evident when Miller starts the introduction to Message In A Bottle too high and Sting simply shouts over the guitar, “Wrong key!” and then starts singing and playing at the more friendly pitch, with Miller immediately adjusting.

That’s one of a number of Police hits in the setlist – obvious options like Roxanne, Walking On The Moon and Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic and, rather wonderfully, other gorgeous, powerful and darker pieces like King Of Pain and Synchronicity II. The power trio format makes those songs sound as powerful as they did in the Eighties, but with slight stylistic differences given Miller’s playing style and Sting’s vocal variations (noticeably less breath at the beginning of many phrases but still those fantastic eight-bar sustained notes when he’s in the mood).

New song I Wrote Your Name (Upon My Heart), with its punchy snares on every beat is grown-up garage rock that doesn’t sound out of place in its elevated surroundings and also gives multiple repeat concert attendees (Sting is one of the few big foreign acts that has come back to South Africa regularly) something new to react to. That people know the songs well is made evident a number of times, and amusingly so when Sting tries to get a call and response going during Englishman In New York, only having the audience respond to his “Oh-oh” with the full line – “I’m an alien, I’m a legal alien, I’m an Englishman in New York” rather than the usual basic echo. The singer looked bemused by this development, but pleased that everyone knew his material well. And Maas’ kit sounds massive in the drum break, which is what fans always hope for but sometimes don’t get to hear in Sting’s live shows.

Sting 3.0 is one version of an excellent showcase for a song catalogue that can hardly be beaten. And there is a sense, watching the musicians at work, that the show could be either two hours longer or feature a completely different setlist and be no weaker for it. Perhaps that’s something to look forward to in Sting 4.0.

(c) Participate by Bruce Dennill