Back to Bass Tour: 2011/12

Turkey is proud of Sting!

At his third concert in Turkey, Sting played songs from his former band, The Police, and songs that have become memorable throughout his solo career. Judging by the reaction, he managed to choose the best ones.

If you ask what was the best part of the Sting concert, it's that Sting wasn't there to promote his latest album or promote his new single. He was there to entertain, and he succeeded. Everyone knew the songs he played by heart and sang along to them until the end.

This was Sting's third time, but the Turkish people embraced him wholeheartedly. My takeaway from the concert is this: the Turkish people love Sting. I can tell this from my mother buying tickets to a Sting concert. He launched right into "Englishman in New York" on the third song. He wasn't worried about saving the dessert for last.

The "Back to Bass" tour is a concert where Sting plays his songs under minimal conditions. It's like having a Sting concert in your own living room. Even though the stage was an eight-person team, the atmosphere was like a Sting chamber orchestra.

Even Vinnie Colaiuta and Dominic Miller, who accompanied Sting to the 1993 concert in Istanbul, have aged. Sting still looks the same. Sting, who is two years older than Müslüm Gürses, who is currently struggling with health problems, owes this to yoga. While watching, we didn't even consider taking up yoga altogether. In his skinny jeans and tight T-shirt, he looked better than any of us at that age.

By my calculations, there were approximately 12,000 people at the Ataköy Athletics Arena. 12,000 people were completely sober, and no one complained about this concert venue, which didn't sell any alcohol. The people I spoke to complained slightly, but they were enjoying themselves.

The worst part of the Sting concert was the traffic. Ataköy was gridlocked. As a former Ataköy resident, I managed to make it to the concert by "escaping" through side streets, and I was proud of that.

Sting's Turkish has improved considerably over the years. He now says "sasolun" instead of "thanks." Sting was perfectly happy with the crowd singing along. Those who called the Jennifer Lopez concert soulless should have seen this concert. There wasn't a single person who wasn't singing and singing along.

I won't deny that there was a slight chaos on the field. The tabloid cameras were turning on their lights and filming the celebrities who had come to see Sting. Naturally, when this happened, people gathered around, wondering, "Who are these people?" Who would it be? It was always the same old people...

The Sting concert proved this once again: The best concerts are the ones where you know the songs. This was one of the main reasons why people left happy and satisfied. I went to the restroom during the break. The restrooms at the Ataköy Athletics Arena are in the hall. You use the festival booths set up outside. Is there a problem? I don't think so. What I don't understand is how romantic it is to make out in front of the booths. My respects to the couple kissing there...

A note: You don't arrive at a concert on the fifth song, folks. Don't do that. Sure, there's traffic, but you have to consider it. "Message in a Bottle" was also one of the concert's high points. People still love The Police. Serkan Çağrı came on stage and joined Sting on "Desert Rose" and received a huge applause from the audience. Sting truly gave a fantastic concert. His voice is pristine, unworn, and still as high and rich as ever. And he still plays bass incredibly well while singing.

Sting didn't hold back with "King of Pain" and "Every Breath You Take." Twelve thousand people were thrilled in Ataköy... But I think the biggest excitement came with the final song, "Fragile." The result? Sting comes to Turkey often, and there are always at least 12,000 people here to greet him. That's for sure.

I was surprised when Sting played "Roxanne." The hall was filled with this magnificent song. It was a wonderful ending. Sting dragged "Roxanne" on and on.

(c) Milliyet