Brand New Day: 1999/01

Sting Triumphs with Good Music Alone - Without So Much...

Sting proved that a large infrastructure isn't necessary to please an audience when backed by more than 25 years of artistic career.

The simplicity of the stage design, the musicians, lighting, and sound equipment that accompanied him on the first Mexican performance of his "Brand New Day" tour, was no obstacle for the Englishman to demonstrate his musical abilities. After several years without setting foot in Mexico, Sting captivated Mexican fans who attended the Coloso de Reforma to witness one of the most anticipated shows of this year.

During the first of three concerts he will offer at this venue, the former member of the Police performed songs from his most recent album, as well as some of the songs he once played with his bandmates Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers.

White strips of fabric adorned the simple stage, where Gordon Matthew Sumner leaped onto his favourite bass guitar to perform "After the Rain Has Fallen." A wide variety of rhythms could be heard just moments into the concert, as the sounds of "Perfect...Gone Wrong" and "Sill Her Up" got more than half the audience dancing. Dressed in gray cargo pants and a sleeveless shirt, Sting paced the stage several times, where he thanked the Mexican people, saying, "Thank you, Mexico."

Euphoria, screams, and body movements exploded when he performed "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic" and "Englishman in New York," which received the most applause of the night.

Those who injected vitality into this performance with their spontaneity were Manu Katche on drums, Jason Rebello on keyboards, Dominic Miller on guitar, Chris Botti on trumpet, and Mark Eldridge on synthesizer, all members of the band led by the Englishman.

The hits that reached the top of the radio charts in the 1980s and 1990s appeared when Sting, accompanied by the audience, performed "Roxane" and "If I Ever Loose My Faith in You," not to mention the flames of the "Desert Rose" torches, which they illuminated with red and yellow lights. The first seats in the National Auditorium were filled with personalities such as Lucero, Mijares, Héctor Suárez Gomis, and his wife, who didn't hesitate to sing along to some of the Grammy nominee's songs, such as the long-awaited "Every Breath You Take," with which the musician left the stage.

At the urging of his fans, the bassist returned to close the night with "Fragile," thus concluding his first concert in Mexico.

Over the course of an hour and a half, pop, rock, country, and Indian rhythms, among others, blended to create what is today one of rock's greatest legends, Sting. Soraya was the opening act, kicking off the musical journey by singing "Cuerpo y alma," "despues de amar así," "Quédate," and "De repente."

Before leaving the stage, the Colombian-American singer said the following words: "This is the first time in two years that I haven't stepped onto such an important stage. This is my comeback, and I thank Sting for giving me this opportunity."

(c) El Universal by Nahim Hernández

Sting arrived, sang, captivated, and thrilled his fans - Soraya was the perfect start to a great concert...

Sting, the musician, the philosopher of life, and the artist who aims to fix the world's problems with his songs, made history in Mexico for the third time, offering a great show that was applauded from start to finish by the more than 10,000 fans who attended the National Auditorium on Tuesday night.

Preceded by the success of his most recent album, "Brand New Day," the English composer demonstrated why he is so famous and why he is one of the most respected musicians in the world.

High-quality songs and lyrics full of mysticism were what Sting offered to the Mexican public, one of the most loyal according to the artist himself. The audience, singing along to all his hits and acknowledging his artistry, made the artist leave the stage with a big smile.

But before the English singer's excellent performance, another artist also received great recognition from the audience: Soraya returned to the stage after a two-year absence, during which she has struggled to cope with breast cancer.

The artist, unlike many other opening acts who tend to be a non-event, managed to captivate the audience from the moment she stepped on stage. Although she only performed five songs, it was enough to show that despite her illness, her enthusiasm for life hasn't waned.

Soraya, who sported a new look with short hair, thanked Sting for the gift of inviting her to open his concerts in Mexico and soon in Puerto Rico, but above all for giving her the opportunity to be in front of an audience again. Among the songs the singer performed were "Quédate," "De repente," "En donde estás," and "despues de amar así."

After a 30-minute break, and with the punctuality that characterizes the English singer, Sting came on stage to enthral the audience from the first chord played over the speakers, which, by the way, recorded an excellent sound like nothing else had ever been seen (or heard) in this venue.

The former lead singer of The Police performed, in addition to some of the songs from his most recent album, many of his hits with the defunct band, as well as others he had achieved over more than 15 years as a solo artist.

Dressed in a black sleeveless T-shirt and beige pants, Sting spoke little, but played and sang until both he and his audience were satisfied. Sting, as did the musicians accompanying him, demonstrated mastery, as together they delighted more than 10,000 souls with rhythms ranging from classic jazz and pop to those from the Middle East and Africa.

The audience's loyalty to their artist was reflected when the National Auditorium literally shook as they sang along to many of his hits, especially the song "Message in a Bottle," which was performed by Sting with only his guitar and the voices of the audience.

The crowd danced and sang in their place, and Sting joked on several occasions, though without words, only with attitudes and movements. He even indulged in sensual dancing to the delight of the ladies.

Although the singer was a Spanish teacher in his younger years, the only word he repeated over and over was "thank you," because that was the only way he could most sincerely reciprocate his audience's devotion.

A concert like no other with an artist like no other is how Sting's success can be summarized in the first of three performances he will have in Mexico, after which he will travel to Puerto Rico and from there to various nations around the globe.

The Englishman, who enjoys spirituality, yoga, and his family, performed pieces such as "All This Time," "Desert Rose," "Thousand Years," and "Brand New Day," all of which are included in his latest album. He also sang contemporary music anthems such as "Roxanne," "Sent the Free," "English Man in New York," and "Every Breath I Take."

(c) El Mercurio

Sting pays his debt with Mexico...

Sting returned to Mexico and he proved to his local fans that everything he does is still magic despite his absence of six years from Mexico.

Last night, during the first one of his three shows in Auditorio Nacional, the audience didn't care that the British changed the order of his setlist for the 'Brand New Day' Tour because the songs of his solo carrier and the ones that are considered classics when he was the leader of The Police are still touching his fan's hearts.

After the American-Colombian, Soraya heated up the stage where Sting would step, with her hits 'Cuerpo y Alma', 'Despues de Amar Así' and 'De Repente', the European kept the ten thousand fans that attended the venue in Paseo de la Reforma waiting for half an hour.

'After The Rain Has Fallen' was one of the first songs that the Grammy nominee used to pay his debt with the Mexican fans, the view of a simple scenery covered with white cloth that crossed all over the scenery and changed their color with the lights and of course, Sting with his old bass guitar in his arms.

Sting also played new songs as 'Perfect Love... Gone Wrong', which it's jazzy melody gave the night a low in the intensity of the night that came up again when he played 'Fill Her Up'. Near the first hour of the show we heard 'Fields Of Gold', song that made many fans illuminate the place with their lighters.

Later, the chords of 'Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic', were motive enough to the crowd to jump from their seats, and the same happened with 'Englishman In New York'.

Sharing the spotlight with each of the members of the band, Manu Katche (drums), Jason Rebello (Piano Hammond Organ), Dominic Miller (Guitar), Chris Botti (Trumpet) and Mark Eldridge (Synth), the former Policeman used the final part of the show to clean the dust off his old but great hits.

Roxanne was sung by all the audience, then he played 'Desert Rose', which is an example that Sting does not rely on nostalgia. With the right mood of the audience, the Englishman found a place for his solo carrier classics like 'If I Ever Lose My Faith In You' and for his greatest hit in the 80s: 'Every Breath You Take'.

After a short pause the crowd made him came back and Sting ended the show with 'Fragile'.

(c) Reforma by Alberto Castillo/translated by Carlos Canales