Sting, an Englishman in Toulouse...

The Essentials What a joy to be thrilled with 10,000 spectators at the Zenith in Toulouse! Especially when the host for the evening is Sting, the excellent singer and composer of so many hits, which he performed with obvious delight.

We've been waiting for this concert for two years! First scheduled for October 2020, then postponed twice, Sting was finally in Toulouse on Sunday evening, at the Zenith, which was attended by 10,000 people. In great form and in great voice, the former Police frontman performed his greatest hits—and he composed a few of them, the guy—under the title: "My Songs." He could also have subtitled it "My Son", since it was his son Joe Sumner who opened the evening with his very well-crafted songs and his voice... which was furiously reminiscent of Papa Gordon's - welcomed on stage with thunderous shouts and applause.

Still as dashing as ever at 71, Sting opened with an unstoppable trio: "Message in a Bottle," "Englishman in New York," and "Everything Little Thing She Does Is Magic" all played back-to-back without a break.

The deal was sealed, success assured, and every lyric in French (which he masters extremely well) was immediately received a 5 out of 5. With the three tracks from "The Bridge," his latest—and formidable—album, scheduled early enough, the star could turn the pages of a solid catalogue he began 40 years ago, both with The Police and solo: "Walking on the Moon," "Fields of Gold," "So Lonely," "King of Pain" (which he performed with Joe), "Every Breath You Take," and the timeless "Roxanne" as an encore, before the sublime "Fragile" as a farewell.

The audience, mostly in their forties, fifties and up, was charmed by Sting's unmistakable voice and legendary charisma. No special effects, no flashy pyrotechnics (but beautiful lights): just a precise and efficient band (we can never say enough what a fabulous bassist Sting is), legendary songs, two screens to capture the Brit's class (a coffee table with a cup of tea - can it be more English?) and 10,000 screams of happiness greeting each intro - what more could you ask for?

(c) La Depeche by Yves Gabay