Last night in Paris... Sting

After a duet with Shaggy, the Englishman launched his new world tour at the Seine Musicale. We were there.

Sting has mastered the art of making something new out of something old, of revamping his standards so that they sound both fresh and very familiar. His latest album, "My Songs," released this week, offers a reinterpretation of fourteen of his classics, and this new tour, which kicked off last night at the Scène Musicale, follows the same artistic approach. There are a few surprises, not the least of which was the absence of his longtime guitarist, Dominic Miller. He has been replaced by his son, Rufus Miller, 34, who was already noticed during the previous tour while his father was still around. It's unclear whether this replacement is permanent or just temporary.

The concert kicked off with "Message In A Bottle," one of the Police's great classics, but here drawn into sometimes funk and sometimes jazzy territory. Sting enjoyed himself throughout the evening, reimagining his most famous songs (from the Police repertoire or his solo adventures), often plunging them into a very aggressive rock sound propelled by an exceptional drummer, Vinnie Colaiuta, 63, whom Frank Zappa considered the best he had ever played with.

The other musicians played their roles well, but one could sometimes wonder about the need to regularly include two backup singers. Sting, a voice perfect in both power and emotion, had no need for them. A concert lasting just under two hours, which ended with a second encore featuring a delightfully violent and joyous "Next To You," reminiscent of the merciless pounding of The Who during the Keith Moon era. This, of course, was still thanks to Vinnie Colaiuta.

(c) Paris Match by Sacha Reins

Sting kicks off his world tour with great energy at the Seine Musicale...

Following the release of the album My Songs on May 28th, the legendary Police frontman stopped for an evening at the new music venue on the Seine. With his inimitable timbre, he treated the audience to 21 songs from his own repertoire and that of his legendary band.

What could we expect tonight at Sting's Seine Musicale? We know he has mastered the art and skill of covering Police standards or his own songs with consistently innovative arrangements, as in his latest album, My Songs, composed of his immortal melodies (Every Breath You Take, Shape of My Heart, not to mention the inevitable Roxanne) rearranged with a reinvented sound but without ever clashing with our memories.

I owe it to the formidable Police song, Message in a Bottle. With its rock overtones, it flirted melodically with funk and jazz last night. The tone is set. On this boat that is the Seine Musicale, Sting will sail all evening on the oceans of powerful rock, very personal jazz-funk, without forgetting the essential note of reggae. All this will have been made possible because he is accompanied by musicians who are more than capable, such as Vinnie Colaiuta on drums (who played with Frank Zappa) and Rufus Miller, once again replacing his father Dominic Miller, Sting's longtime guitarist.

For the first forty-five minutes, Sting plays one song after another with enthusiasm and energy in front of an audience that listens to him almost religiously. It's not until Walking on the Moon, in a very reggae version, that the audience interacts with him. Finally, we feel that his fans are alive. They are expressing themselves. The heat rises and doesn't cool down until the end of the concert. Sting and his troupe embark on a packed Seine Musicale, with some of the audience in the stands standing.

Sting delivers with his new arrangements, alternating between intensity and emotion with his powerful and well-positioned voice. You can hear the audience in the pit trying to recognize the songs from the opening bars, such as "Wrapped Around Your Finger" and "Desert Rose." The concert ends for the first time at the end of the legendary "Roxanne," still as electric and powerful as ever.

Sting performs five songs, from "Can't Stand Losing You" to "Every Breath You Take," ending with "Next You," before an audience captivated by his artistic quality and that of his musicians. Finally, the singer's elegance and incredible presence are evident: wearing only jeans and a T-shirt, this handsome Englishman sang last night on the Seine stage.

(c) Le Figaro by Loïc Chaslin 

A FLAWLESS PERFORMANCE FOR STING'S CONCERT AT LA SEINE MUSICALE...

Sting offered the Parisian audience a top-notch concert, proving to anyone who doubted it that he still possesses perfect mastery of his art.

Concerts by pop music veterans are as eagerly awaited as they are feared. Even a loyal audience for decades can be very uncompromising: vocal, musical, and stage performances are scrutinized, and the slightest weakness is inevitably attributed to old age. What then can be said about the performance of Sting, former frontman of the legendary The Police and now a world-renowned songwriter?

The tour, simply titled My Songs, echoes the album of the same name, which, released on May 24, compiles already-known songs interpreted differently. Like a dusted-off best-of, critics were already heralding the album as a swan song. These were therefore well feinted, because Sting's performance was mastered from start to finish.

A near-perfect set list, featuring the greatest hits of The Police and Sting's solo career, retracing the artist's various periods and influences (from the sharp pop-rock of his early days, through jazz and world music inspirations, to the most melodious ballads). In the still-shiny setting of the Seine Musicale, which represents a good compromise between a Zenith and an arena, Sting, accompanied by five musicians and two backup singers, quickly brought the audience into overdrive while remaining extremely humble in his stage presence.

With the first words of "Message In a Bottle," Sting dismissed any hint of potential fatigue: his voice is powerful, carries far, and is a touch deeper. Positioned at centre stage, Sting doesn't need to overstate his options to win the audience's support. Equipped with his bass (except for one track where the acoustic guitar gives his favourite instrument a few minutes of respite), he leads the concert as straight as an I but nevertheless relaxed. When the guitar riffs or the bluesy harmonica solos take over, he moves away from the neon lights as if to share the top of the bill with his musicians.

Many tracks then take on a new resonance: "If I Ever Lose My Faith In You" and "Englishman In New York" take on the most surprising funky overtones. The Police's tracks, like "Walking On The Moon" and "So Lonely," literally lose their rock edge in favour of a slightly disconcerting ragga sound (a little mash-up with Bob Marley's "Get Up Stand Up" in the former serves to emphasize this point). The tone is thus set: a cool attitude and goodwill reign. The crowd, admittedly mostly composed of older people who don't or no longer practice po-going, gently lets themselves be lulled by this soothing rhythm.

Nevertheless, the audience's fervour is beyond doubt (if only by the number of cell phones per square meter held aloft). It seems as if the exchange between the artist and the audience is superfluous, as the songs follow one another quickly. Perhaps Sting's legendary modesty persists despite his uninterrupted career spanning 40 years.

A 1-hour 40-minute concert, two encores, and a particularly effective selection of songs, satisfying both the oldest fans and the younger ones, who discovered a musician and singer who remains at his best, at almost 70 years old.

(c) Sound of Brit by Laetitia Mavrel