Sting Concert: The Zenith Rocks and Sings The Police...

After his last appearance in 2008 with The Police and a postponement of several months, Sting finally made a stop in the Loire capital for his European tour in front of nearly 6,500 spectators.

There was a buzz this Saturday evening at the Zenith in Saint-Etienne. The crowd, made up of a good number of forty-somethings, pressed forward to take their seats in front of the barriers and get as close as possible to the former singer and bassist of The Police. After several months of waiting due to the postponement of the original concert (April 3rd), Sting made a stop in the Loire, to the delight of his fans.

As Sandrine, who we met on the square, said: "We've been listening to him for years and have never had the chance to see him. I'm actually more of a fan of Sting alone." Her husband is a "fan of the band The Police." And when we ask him his favourite song: "Roxane," of course, he laughs and sings along.

A little further on, just before the ticket scanning, we meet Michèle: "It's all my youth, especially with The Police, but I really like his solo songs like Englishman in New York. I'll spare you the English lyrics (laughs)."

A sentiment shared by Jérôme, from Saint-Martin-la-Plaine, for whom his "childhood" is resurfacing.

Aurélien, for his part, seized the opportunity of an international headline performance at the Zénith: "He's an important figure, so I might as well make the most of it!"

In the aisles, the crowd grows larger and larger as the show approaches. As we weave our way through, we spot Stéphane, who has given the tickets to his partner and for whom Roxane is also the signature song.

Just before the red doors to the stands, Camille grants us a few moments. She travelled from Metz to "share a moment with family," especially with her parents and her sister Charlotte. Their iconic songs "Russians" and "Every Breath You Take."

But Sting also performs more recent tracks from his latest album, The Bridge (2021), as well as duets with Mylène Farmer (Stolen Car) and Gims with Reste, whose music video was filmed in the Lyon metro.

Handclaps erupted in the audience. It was his son, Joe Sumner, who first warmed up the 6,500 or so spectators.

Even four decades later, the audience remains loyal to the singer. It must be said that his last appearance, in 2008, was during the days of The Police at Geoffroy-Guichard.

After several calls from the audience, the lights at the Zénith dimmed to make way for the show. Sting arrived from the stage in a very relaxed style (in a T-shirt) with his guitar in hand. A few steps and the first riffs rumbled across the stage.

He kicked off with Message in a Bottle and invited the audience to join the chorus and clap along. He continued with Englishman in New York with a heavy backlight.

Yet, the style was quite pared-down. Despite the two large screens on the sides, the atmosphere was understated.

He was accompanied by four excellent musicians and two backing vocalists. "Ladies and gentlemen, Saint-Étienne, we are happy to be here with you," he allowed himself in French. The former leader of The Police then went on, even playing with the audience by thumbing his nose at them and making other jokes.

(c) Le Progres by Bastien Devidal