Back to Bass Tour: 2011/12

Sting Wows Crowd at German Tour Kick-off...

At the end, he stands all alone on stage, holding nothing but an acoustic guitar. Sting begins to play "Message in a Bottle," a smash hit by his former band, The Police.

A single spotlight is trained on the 60-year-old rock star at this moment. His fans cheer and enthusiastically join in. It is the highlight of the opening night of Sting's German tour - the highlight of a magnificent show that eschews grand spectacle.

On Tuesday evening in Munich, Gordon Matthew Sumner - better known as Sting - performs without a horn section, percussionists, or keyboards. Five musicians, including his longtime collaborator and guitarist Dominic Miller, accompany him during the two-hour concert before an audience of nearly 2,000. Sting is scheduled to perform in Frankfurt on Wednesday. Further German dates include Cologne (March 2), Stuttgart (March 7), and Berlin (March 10). The tour, marking the 25th anniversary of his solo career, is titled "Back to Bass" - a return to the bass guitar. It could just as easily have been called "Back to the Roots."

Sting's career took off in the late 1970s with the trio The Police. Five albums and numerous Grammy Awards followed. Among the trio's best-known hits are "Roxanne," "Don't Stand So Close to Me," and "So Lonely" - songs the fans at the packed Munich Kesselhaus waited for in vain. Instead, they heard many tracks from Sting's solo career, delivered with his extraordinary, distinctive voice and influenced by a variety of musical styles.

Throughout the past 25 years, Sting has repeatedly tried new things, experimenting with unusual sounds and challenging his fans in the process. Most recently, he even turned to classical music, releasing an album of English Renaissance lute music and performing with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Once again, he stripped his sound back to the essentials.

For most of the concert, Sting stood behind the microphone with his bass. After more than 30 years on stage, he eschewed grand rock-star gestures. Every now and then, he stepped aside to let his bandmates take solos, before taking charge once more.

However, Sting saved his biggest hits - and thus the evening's highlights - for the encores. "Desert Rose" and the Police hit "Every Breath You Take" sent the audience into a frenzy at the end of the night. Shortly thereafter, the five-piece band - comprising two guitarists, a drummer, a backing vocalist, and a violinist - left the stage, and Sting seized the opportunity for an acoustic finale.

(c) Die Welt

Everything he does is magic...

His superstar enterprise continues to flourish, constantly reinventing itself. This time, the motto is: Back to the roots.

Munich - business acumen or passion? In any case, this marks Sting’s fourth tour in five years. Yet, rather than simply repeating himself, he presents a unique concept for each outing. In Munich, for instance, he has performed medieval songs at the Herkulessaal, staged a "Police" revival at the Olympic Stadium, and played his hits with orchestral arrangements at the Olympiahalle - and on Tuesday, he and his band took to the stage at the Kesselhaus, a venue boasting industrial charm. Naturally, it was another sell-out success, met with acclaim. *Every little thing he does is magic?*

Indeed, the now 60-year-old Brit once again manages to entertain his audience to perfection with effortless charm. This is despite the fact that, with ticket prices hovering around 90 euros, some might have expected something other than being crammed in with some 2,000 other concertgoers inside an awkwardly elongated former machine hall. Yet, the evening’s exclusivity lay precisely in the opportunity to experience the global superstar in a far more intimate setting than usual. The tour is titled "Back to Bass" - a name that signifies not only Sting’s return to his original instrument and a band dynamic, but also a focus on the musical fundamentals. The result: no superstar pomp, just a small club and a small stage.

And the six-piece band truly impresses, particularly in the stretches between the requisite hit-filled opening ("All This Time" and "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic") and the finale (ranging from "Desert Rose" to Sting’s solo rendition of "Message in a Bottle"). Whether it’s Police songs like "Demolition Man" or "Driven to Tears," older Sting tracks like "Fortress Around Your Heart," or newer ones like "Sacred Love," the musicians - backed by powerful solos - skilfully lay bare the songs' roots in blues and rock. Sting delivers his signature husky, emotive vocals with pinpoint precision and, for the most part, guides the audience through the evening with charming commentary in surprisingly good German. It all feels effortless - as if everything were born of pure enjoyment and came together to form perfection as if by magic.

Of course, that very ease is part of the staging. The show lasts almost exactly two hours, and the setlist is identical to the tour's previous fifteen performances. There is nothing spontaneous or improvised here; it is all highly professional. That’s Sting for you - and certainly a shrewd businessman to boot. But whether - after a thirty-five-year career - there is still passion involved? Only he knows that.

(c) Augsburger Allgemeine by Wolfgang Schütz

More direct, earthier, dirtier...

Sting forgoes any light show or other gimmicks at the kickoff of his German tour at Munich's Kesselhaus. The concert is nevertheless a minor masterpiece – audience members, music critics, and even fitness trainers would likely agree on that.

For critics who cling to the rock star cliché, it's always been easy to make fun of Gordon Matthew Sumner, better known as Sting: the former English and sports teacher who didn't drown his world-weariness and fear of death in drugs and excess, but rather processed it with yoga and intellectual texts; the Amnesty International member who reads the New York Times and the Guardian daily.

The supposed musical nerd who brought prominent jazz musicians like Branford Marsalis into his band, occasionally dabbled in classical music with John Dowland interpretations or symphony orchestras, and for whom a dominant seventh chord is no stranger. Especially since one has to admit that little of the subversiveness of The Police – who, for example, were the first to ridicule the playback TV shows that were common at the time with comedically asynchronous performances and became one of the most successful pop bands precisely because they gently undermined the established pop rules – remains in the late Sting, the father of six and homeowner of seven.

From an audience perspective, it's usually a pleasure when someone goes on stage well prepared. A real flop is almost impossible. Instead, with a bit of luck, you get a small masterpiece like the "Back to Bass" performance at Munich's Kesselhaus, Sting's own retrospective of his 25 years as a solo artist.

The two and a quarter hours rolled by so casually that it wasn't until afterward that you realized what a perfectly thought-out concept you were being wrapped around. You can be sure that Sting had worked out every single musical detail just as thoroughly as his announcements in German, broken by a nice British accent, but otherwise perfect.

Which starts with the line-up. This time, he wanted it to be more direct, earthier, dirtier, and more direct, so he worked with a comparatively small band, featuring veteran guitarist Dominic Miller ("My right hand for 22 years"), his son Rufus, and "drummer's drummer" Vinnie Colaiuta, along with two violinists, Peter Tickell and Australian Jo Lawry, who provided the special touch.

Not only because Tickell got the only two real solos, the whole thing leaned strongly toward Southern and country rock, even on wavy rip-roars like "Demolition Man" or the funky "Heavy Cloud No Rain"; the chorus of "Love Is Stronger Than Justice" even became entirely bluegrass.

Sting's no-nonsense outfit of jeans and a T-shirt (which matched the worn '54 Fender bass as well as the 60-year-old's wiry body) fit the bill, as did the lack of any light show or other gimmicks.

Sting had also conscientiously tailored his song selection to this setting, both in the six tracks dating back to his Police days and in the 16 others. The selection was more enigmatic, atmospheric, and narrative, like 'Stolen Car' or 'Ghost Story', while overly familiar songs like 'Roxanne' or 'Englishman In New York' were missing. Only during the encore did Sting satisfy the fans who were fixated on the hit songs with a rather banal 'Every Breath You Take' – only to then immediately add another bombastic rendition with 'Next To You'.

All of this combined once again demonstrated Sting's greatness as a songwriter, as the true quality of a good pop song lies in its ability to accommodate any arrangement, any stylistic transformation, without becoming unrecognizable. The fact that he performed 'Message In A Bottle' as the very last encore, solo and—harking back to his earliest beginnings—with guitar, was something Sting had already tested on his symphonic tour, found effective, and now adopted.

Whether from the perspective of a music critic, fitness trainer, or seasoned concertgoer, it took some effort to find something to complain about. It quickly led to the packed Kesselhaus venue, which mocked Sting's idea of a club-like tour and had the same poor conditions in terms of visibility and sound – especially at the beginning, unbearably flat, shrill, and high-pitched – as the neighbouring Zenith.

Within Sting's area of responsibility, however, the only remaining complaint is the long-standing criticism that new songs are missing. In this case, the teacher's revenge, part two, will soon follow: The musical play about the shipyard workers of his hometown of Newcastle upon Tyne is expected to be completed soon – with entirely new songs.

(c) Süddeutschen Zeitung by Oliver Hochkeppel

Little moments of magic...

Good old Sting doesn't need much to make himself and his fans happy - according to the *Flaschenpost* report from the Kesselhaus.

After excursions into symphonic and medieval music, Sting has come full circle with his "Back To Bass" tour. While he isn't quite returning to his actual roots - which lie in jazz - he is going back to a time when nothing mattered but playing handmade music with a band. And back to the days when he didn't just sing, but played the bass at the same time. The fans at the sold-out Kesselhaus were absolutely thrilled.

Barely any hair left on his head, simple jeans, and a tight T-shirt over a toned torso. Add good sound and some lighting, and the 61-year-old superstar needs nothing else to be happy but his bass. It quickly becomes clear that the old cliché - "you only consciously notice the bass when you *don't* hear it" - doesn't hold true, at least not with Sting. Throughout the evening, he skilfully weaves in basslines and hooks that many a guitarist would give their right arm for.

And then there are the backing musicians - a delight in their own right: vocalist Jo Lawry, violinist Peter Tickell, and guitarist Dominic Miller. Taking turns with the master, each one steps into the spotlight to showcase their skills with extended solos.

It is no wonder that an energetic synergy of talent and sheer joy in playing emerges - a musical firework display that ignites the audience. Excitement naturally peaks during well-known tracks like "Fields Of Gold," "All This Time," and "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic"; by the time "Every Breath You Take" rolls around near the end of the concert, the fans are unstoppable.

But then, for the third encore, comes the highlight: Sting alone on stage, performing another smash hit from his Police days - "Message In A Bottle." This time on guitar instead of bass. Not bad at all.

(c) Abendzeitung by Arno Frank Eser

Sting: A man, a bass...

Sting returned to simplicity at Munich’s Kesselhaus. Read our concert review to find out how it sounded.

Thank goodness, some Sting fans might have thought. "Back to Bass" is the name of the current tour - a return to simplicity, then. Sting, as everyone knows, is not a man devoid of vanity - nor is he lacking in ambition. In recent years, he performed Renaissance songs on the lute and gathered entire symphony orchestras around him. Fans found this acceptable, but nothing more. Now - finally - he is back with a band: Sting, stripped down to the essentials, in a packed Kesselhaus in Munich.

Indeed, the six-piece combo kicks things off with gusto: "All This Time" and "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" (by The Police), followed later by "Next To You" as an encore. That famous, bright, throaty voice is intact; Dominic Miller plays guitar solos with a wah-wah effect; a rocker’s heart beats faster. Violinist Peter Tickell and Sting - shaven head, jeans, T-shirt, well-worn bass - engage in musical duels.

But Sting is Sting, after all - a "serious musician," not a "Demolition Man," as he sings. This means a balance between jazz and rock; even the Western ballad "I Hung My Head" features a rhythm so intricate that anyone trying to sway along (as one might to Johnny Cash’s version) would be driven to despair. In the middle section, a sense of staid routine threatens to drift through the hall like ground fog, yet Sting still manages to deliver beautiful moments: the delicate "Ghost Story," for instance, and by the time he reaches his best song, "Every Breath You Take," he has found his footing again.

However, it is Sting himself who best illustrates his relationship with simplicity. He introduces the hit "Fields of Gold" - in excellent German - with the following words: "In England, I live in a charming little house." He laughs. "That’s not true. I live in a large castle."

(c) Merkur Online by Johannes Löhr

Sting kicks off his German tour in Munich...

Sting in just under two hours: Musician and composer Sting launched his German tour on Tuesday with an acclaimed concert in Munich. To mark the 25th anniversary of his solo career, the 60-year-old Briton performed a selection of his best songs. The two-hour "Back To Bass" program focuses on the musical core of the tracks and drew enthusiastic applause.

Highlights included Sting's world-famous songs "Every Breath You Take," "Desert Rose," and "Fields of Gold," as well as several hits from his former band, The Police. The artist and his five-piece band performed at the sold-out Kesselhaus, a former industrial hall with a unique atmosphere.

Regarded as down-to-earth, the veteran star avoided any airs and graces. A few minutes past 8:00 p.m., he took the stage wearing a skin-tight shirt and opened the evening with the song "All This Time" - fitting for the tour's retrospective theme. Sting guided the audience through the show entirely in decent German. The fans were delighted.

Joining him on stage was his longtime guitarist Dominic Miller, whom Sting introduced as "my right-hand man for 22 years." The 60-year-old had also recruited Miller's son, Rufus, as an additional guitarist. Peter Tickell, on electric violin, received special appreciation from the audience, repeatedly firing up the atmosphere with his solos.

While Sting toured with an orchestra previously, the "Back To Bass" program strips the songs down to their core element: the bass. Sting dispenses with elaborate show elements and stage sets alike. He demonstrates that a few white spotlights against a black wall are enough to showcase what matters most: the music. For the final song, "Message In A Bottle," the powerful-voiced musician accompanied himself solely on acoustic guitar. “Right, that’s it,” Sting said to the roaring crowd before disappearing.

Following a North American tour last year, Sting kicked off the European leg of his “Back To Bass” tour in the UK on February 5. Further stops in Germany include Frankfurt (February 29), Cologne (March 2), Stuttgart (March 7), and Berlin (March 10). A CD collection accompanying the tour has been released.

(c) Rockefeller Magazin