Sting 3.0

Sting in Chile: the legend that never fades...

The artist performed this Friday night, the 21st, at the Movistar Arena, offering an impeccable show, supported by his virtuosity as an instrumentalist, a flawless voice, and an unbeatable catalog of classics, many of them by that institution known as The Police.

If one of the Chilean public's most memorable encounters with Sting dates back to the 2011 Viña del Mar Festival, where the British artist performed with a full orchestra, this Friday the 21st at the Movistar Arena represents the opposite: the return ticket to the origins. The return embrace with the trio format.

Stripped of instrumental embellishments and grand stage sets, the artist returns to the very lineup that made him a best-selling star with The Police, this time at 73 years old and backed by guitarist Dominic Miller - a longtime loyal squire - and drummer Chris Maas, part of recent bands like Mumford & Sons.

This more austere setting allows him to showcase his still-intact and impressive performing skills, almost flawless despite the passing of the calendar, still displaying that somewhat youthful freshness and those vocalizations at the end of each song that resonate like echoes of another era and that made his band a true FM institution, capable of influencing entire generations of Spanish-speaking rockers, starting with Soda Stereo and Los Prisioneros.

Sting knows he's gracefully stretched his reach into adulthood, deploying epic resources in passages of hits like "Walking on the Moon."

Because that's precisely what the Sting 3.0 tour, which he showcased last night to a packed venue in the capital, is all about: a generous tour of a large part of his catalog. There's no room for pettiness. Sting holds nothing back from the start, opening fire with "Message in a Bottle" by the Police themselves, in a perfect balance of delicacy and electricity, with the artist also displaying his virtuosity as a bassist, the rhythmic heart of his performance.

Then the route opens into his solo universe, with "If I Ever Lose My Faith in You," followed by the highly acclaimed "Englishman in New York." The audience - mostly adults, although there is also a presence of young people and even teenagers - declares itself impressed not only by her voice, but also by her appearance, simple and unpretentious, but also part of a figure who seems to have undergone little change in decades.

The show continues with another unbeatable classic, Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic, also by her mother band, designed with more rock-oriented overtones than the original, reinforcing the harder edge her compositions acquire today. "Fields of Gold" restores calm, while "Never Coming Home" offers thick, exuberant bass lines, another testament to her mastery of the instrument.

In contrast, "Wrapped Around Your Finger" replicates the original track's form, unlike "Can't Stand Losing You," which is elastic and extended toward a sweeping finale. Mass proves himself a precise percussionist who doesn't require any great acrobatics to shine, while Miller responds to each moment in his role, firing off chords that seem to float naturally and fluidly.

The night continues with hits like "So Lonely," "King of Pain," and the eternal "Every Breath You Take," that ode to obsession that always seems to move. In the encore, the party is for Roxanne - extended, saturated with breaks and new directions - and an acoustic closing performance with "Fragile."

Sting delivered one of the greatest live moments of this first half of the year, thanks to a permanence sustained by an impeccable voice and a flawless stage presence. Like a legend, the time has come for him to lift the rearview mirror and draw on what he's built up over decades. In the moment of recounting, he never falters. Exactly like that: like the legends.

(c) La Tercera by Claudio Vergara

Sting: Magical Ideal - His return to Chile was one of his best performances...

For the past six decades, Sting's repertoire has been a staple on popular music playlists. Throughout that time, the musician has toured the world in various ensembles, performances, and formats. Armed with an arsenal of hits, the Englishman constantly revisits his legacy, witnessing it on several occasions: whether accompanied by a large band, hitting the stage with a surprise collaboration (his partnership with Shaggy, who also toured Chile), in a symphonic format (when he stood out at the 2011 Viña del Mar Festival), or with The Police themselves (the 2007/2008 reunion tour was a surprise for everyone, including those involved). On his return to the country for the first time since 2018, Gordon Sumner is coming with his 3.0 tour, in which he once again seeks to give a twist to his way of confronting audiences.

For several reasons, this tour feels like a return to the roots, and the connection with the group that created "Reggata de Blanc" is undeniable. Sting takes the stage with English punctuality, in a trio format, accompanied by Dominic Miller - his colleague of several years - and Chris Maas. And that was more than enough: Miller's mastery of his guitar and Maas's flexibility on the drums were the ideal complement to the skill and professionalism of the party owner. Appealing to the music as the centerpiece, the staging shines with its sobriety; the lights and screen that fill the stage explain their presence only as a secondary resource. An absolute success for the singer: in an age when grand sets and monstrous productions take care of the first impression, here the timeless weight of the songs takes care of the job. Nor is anything more needed. The first notes of "Message in a Bottle" were enough to keep the audience enthralled throughout the hour and 45 minutes of the concert. It was the start of an absolutely satisfying set, full of hits.

As the songs progressed ('Wrapped Around Your Finger', 'Walking on the Moon'), the reasons for Sting's completeness on stage were revealed once again. His voice betrayed his fitness, demonstrated in 'Synchronicity II', 'Englishman in New York', and the inevitable 'Driven to Tears'. He also demonstrated his versatility, drawing on classic reggae in 'Driven to Tears', dressing up as punk in the timeless 'So Lonely', getting down to business in 'Fields of Gold', and returning to his heartbroken young man in 'Can't Stand Losing You'. He knows the art of charming an audience like the back of his hand, inviting them to sing along in the immense 'If I Ever Lose My Faith in You', forging a unique moment of communion in the classic 'Every Breath You Take', and drawing applause in 'King of Pain'. With his B-Rig Bass - his well-worn Fender Precision bass, his companion for decades - he shines on the instrumentals, demonstrating his skill in "Never Coming Home." And if anyone accuses him of only focusing on the past, he includes "I Wrote Your Name (Upon My Heart)," a single released a few months ago. "Roxanne" and the acoustic "Fragile" were the final pieces of a recital that could have lasted much longer.

Perhaps unitentionally, Sting's reunion with the local audience contradicted some current preconceptions of live performances. He can impress with his voice alone - magnificent at 73 - and doesn't need any extra resources. The trio format gives him even greater freedom: if anyone saw The Police at the National Stadium in 2007 and was at yesterday's concert, they noticed a much more comfortable Sting. It's often said that "less is more," and this occasion exemplified it magically. 2025 hasn't even completed its second month, and we already have a serious contender for best concert of the year.

(c) Rock Axis by Jean Parraguez