Sting delights his fans...

"I'm very happy to be here," declared a relaxed Englishman in Montreal on Thursday evening. Singer and bassist Sting was at the Bell Centre as part of his My Songs tour.

Dressed in a fitted sweater and leather pants, the former face of The Police clearly hadn't let the years catch up with him. Without dragging out the suspense with a speech or an introductory song, he delivered a heartfelt rendition of "Message in a Bottle" to an already captivated audience.

At the venerable age of 70, there's no denying the Englishman's insatiable appetite for the spotlight and the stage. Just under three months after selling his entire colossal catalog of songs to Universal Music, Sting certainly doesn't need to supplement his income with a world tour.

He certainly doesn't feel the need to go out of his way to impress his fans either. Relying on a minimalist stage set and discreet musicians, the 17-time Grammy winner presented Montrealers with a straightforward product that lived up to the name of his tour: his songs, quite simply. After apologizing for departing from his greatest hits for a while, Sting performed a few songs from his latest album, The Bridge, released last November. Although masterfully crafted, these tracks didn't make a lasting impression.

The Bell Centre erupted and returned to its festive atmosphere immediately afterward, delighted to hear the hits "I Hung My Head," "Fields of Gold," and "Brand New Day," to name a few. A reggae medley of "So Lonely" and "No Woman No Cry" then led to one of the evening's most powerful moments. Sting may no longer have the drive and energy to sway his hips and give his body and soul on stage every night, but he certainly doesn't look like a rock star on his last lap, much to the delight of his tireless fans.

Sting called upon none other than his son, Joe Sumner, to open the show.

The 45-year-old singer took the stage armed only with his acoustic guitar and his voice, whose texture is reminiscent of his father's.

Sumner, however, drew praise for speaking in French and dedicating his song "Hope" to the memory of Guy Lafleur.

(c) Le Journal de Montreal by Félix Desjardins