Sting 3.0

Sting's first performance in Japan in two and a half years was at the same venue as his last time, Ariake Arena, for his Tokyo show. As I walked towards the beautiful, modern building facing the Shinonome Canal, I was suddenly reminded of the Jones Beach Theater in New York State, where I saw him perform live that summer 37 years ago. At that spectacular venue, designed to appear as if rising from the sea, Sting stood on stage accompanied by seven musicians, focusing almost entirely on vocals.

And now, in the early fall of 2025, soon to mark his 74th birthday, he will stand in front of a packed Ariake Arena with a completely different trio, a unit of just three people. The "Sting 3.0" project, which he has been working on since the spring of 2024, has finally arrived in Tokyo.

The house lights went down almost exactly at showtime, and amidst a flurry of sharp lighting, Dominic Miller's guitar reverberated, joined by Chris Maas's slashing drums. Sting then joined in on bass, marking the start of the first song of the Tokyo premiere: "Message of Solitude." Despite the minimal instrumentation and streamlined performance, the sound pressure felt by the audience was incredible. Every note had a powerful core. Is that how I would describe it?

It's worth mentioning that Miller has been contributing to Sting's creative work in various ways since the mid-'90s. He's a guitarist who is naturally adept at handling any style, from jazz to hard rock, and is truly like a partner to Sting.

Maas is originally from Luxembourg. Based in London since around 2005, he gained experience and honed his skills in studios and on tours. He met Sting during the pandemic, and was recognized by him, leading to his involvement in the "Sting 3.0" project. It might be more accurate to say that Sting was inspired by his powerful, precise, and expressive drumming, sensing great potential, and inspired him to take a new step.

The second track was "I Wrote Your Name (Upon My Heart)," Sting 3.0's first studio recording, which was also included on "3.0 Live." With its heavy rhythm reminiscent of Bo Diddley, this song likely indicates the direction of the trio's future activities.

On the first day in Tokyo, September 14th, Sting wore a cropped golden yellow T-shirt, slim black pants, and boots. The colour of his T-shirt matched well with his well-worn Precision Bass, and there was a green print of what looked like a palm tree on the right side of his chest, highlighting his always toned physique.

Following this were "Lose My Faith in You," "Englishman in New York," and "Magic." Sting, who for the past few years has been using a headset-style microphone (meaning he doesn't have to stand in front of a mic stand), moved around the stage with long strides, drawing the audience in. Then the trio slowed the tempo considerably for "Fields of Gold," featuring Dominic Miller's delicate guitar work. It's a beautiful song that evokes the wind blowing over the barley fields of southwest England.

What struck me most about this project, which has been in full swing for a year and a half now, is how steadily and enthusiastically it seems to be reimagining Sting's classic songs day by day. The band had already taken several steps forward since recording "3.0 Live." It seems they were enjoying that feeling together with the audience as they searched for their next step.

The seventh track, "Never Coming Home," effortlessly incorporated the riff from Jimi Hendrix's "Hey Joe," followed by "Mad About You." Following this, they performed emotionally charged renditions of "Around Your Finger" and "Fortress Around Your Heart," before suddenly shifting gears to "The World Is Too Sad," a song that slammed into the anger, sadness, and sense of loss they felt at the reality that brings tears to their eyes whenever they heard news from around the world. The word "PROTEST" appeared several times on the screen behind the stage.

The set continued with "Thousand Years" and "Can't Stand Losing You," before moving on to "Shape of My Heart," again accompanied by Dominic Miller's delicate guitar. The melody was born as they strummed guitars side by side, and Sting added lyrics themed around playing cards, making it a song they co-wrote. This, too, felt even more captivating as the trio played it, keeping the sonic elements to a bare minimum.

After a medley of early Police songs like "Walking on the Moon" and "So Lonely," the lighting and other aspects of the stage image changed dramatically, leading to "Desert Rose." Chris Mars's puffy drumming shone brightly, even in this song with its complex and bold rhythms. Dominic's guitar, using a variety of effects to paint a picture of the North African desert onstage, was also fantastic.

After performing "King of Pain" from The Police's final album, Synchronicity, and then "Mitsumete Itai," without touching on the recent news at all, the three members held hands, bowed deeply, and left the stage.

The first encore was "Roxanne." I've seen them perform live many times, with the audience united, but this performance by their new unit gave me the feeling of even greater possibilities. What was most striking was the sheer joy on Sting's face.

The final song was "Fragile." With Sting switching to a gut-string acoustic guitar and Dominic remaining on electric guitar, they quietly performed this timeless classic, one that, unfortunately, will always be remembered as "an essential song for the world of our time."

Then, when Sting returned to greet the crowd with the trio, Dominic and Chris had already retreated to the left of the stage, creating a bit of humour as the concert at Ariake Arena came to a close.

(c) lmusic.tokyo by Hiroshi Otomo