Brand New Day: 1999/01

Sting show silences the doubters...

''He looks younger. He must have had something done.''

''I don't like that jacket.''

''He was better with the Police.''

''Can he really do it for five hours?''

Those were the ''overheard'' comments Sting facetiously threw out to the audience when his new band took a break, four songs into its set. And, by deftly defusing any doubts the fans may have had about his abilities, the bassist/singer/songwriter/actor allowed the music to take center stage.

The 'Brand New Day' tour has the former Police bassist leading a new band but, more importantly, returning to his old instrument. With the exception of playing guitar on the opening number ('A Thousand Years', which also opens the new album) and on a wonderful sing-and-call encore of 'Message in a Bottle', Sting grounded the band with his trusty Fender bass while belying claims that his voice has grown brittle at age 48.

Of course, despite wonderful throwbacks to his past (an extended dub version of 'Roxanne', Police staples 'Every Little Thing She Does is Magic' and 'When the World is Running Down'), Sting is not as aggressive as he was 20 years ago. The passion and energy have mellowed, being replaced with a higher level of musicianship, flawless production and the excellent acoustics of the theater.

Even without as much spike to his hair, however, Sting showed that he can still play circles around most on the bass, taking the band on extended jams during 'If I Ever Lose My Faith in You' and 'Fragile'. He and his band kept the focus on music, with only two or three short comments to the crowd during the 100-minute, 20-song show.

Guitarist Dominic Miller, drummer Manu Katche, keyboardists Kipper and Jason Rebello, and trumpeter Chris Botti held together well enough and certainly are world-class musicians. But the show could have used a little less professional polish, and a little more spontaneity.

Nonetheless, the concert did show that, even if the music is quieter and jazzier, Sting can still move a crowd. The collective scream that announced his return to the stage for the first encore was resounding.

Although he has changed, good lyrics and solid playing combined with the other tools in the current Sting arsenal add up to an incredible show.

(c) The Sarasota Herald Tribune by Dwayne Fatherree

Sting's new sound resonates with arts center's full house...

Sting's sound has moved miles away from its origins two decades ago.

The songs he wrote for the Police were filled with punky energy and rough reggae beats.

His current sound doesn't seem out of place on adult contemporary or smooth jazz radio formats. Great for cruising in the Lexus, but how does it hold up on the concert stage?

Quite well, actually, thanks to a crack band, an enthusiastic performance from the headliner himself and an adoring, sold-out, Saturday night crowd of 2,559 at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center's Carol Morsani Hall.

Sting's close-cropped hair and leather jacket wouldn't have been out of place with the Police. And he did offer rearrangements of five Police songs.

But the focus, naturally, was on solo Sting, and particularly on his latest album, this year's 'Brand New Day'.

He occasionally paired tunes from the new disc with vintage material, segueing from 'After the Rain Has Fallen' into 'We'll Be Together' from 1987's 'Nothing Like the Sun'. Later, the new 'Tomorrow We'll See', a prostitute's monologue, was followed by the thematically-similar 'Roxanne', the Police's first hit.

Sting allowed plenty of space for his band's soloists. Guitarist Dominic Miller and trumpeter Chris Botti were featured throughout the show. Jason Rebello shone on extended jazzy excursions, particularly during 'Englishman in New York'. Drummer Manu Katche rapped (in French) on the playful 'Perfect Love...Gone Wrong'.

The audience was willing to follow Sting down adventurous paths, even if the odd time signature of 'Seven Days' signaled a lobby break for some.

Sting has an infectious stage presence and a good sense of comic timing - between-song patter was funny and brief.

But it was Sting's way with a pop song that brought the biggest reaction, whether on the Police tunes or solo hits such as 'All This Time' or 'If I Ever Lose My Faith in You'.

(c) The Tampa Tribune by Curtis Ross

New Sting is not as sharp as the classic rock model - Although his songwriting and singing remain strong, his new sound leaves some longing for the tried-and-true hits...

"I've actually given up Tantric-sex," said the worldly British rocker Sting in concert Saturday at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center. "I'm trying to convince my wife to take up Tantric shopping. You go shopping for five hours and you don't buy anything."

Though his comment drew big laughter from the audience, one couldn't help thinking that the PA system of a Tantric shopping center would probably be the most appropriate place for Sting's latest music. His current tour and album 'Brand New Day' is a soupy mix of world-beat music bordering on smooth jazz that, while not uncharacteristic of Sting's evolution as a singer, has all the excitement of a weak back rub.

Because Sting dedicated most of the concert to playing new material, the audience spent a lot of time wriggling in its seats, standing only when he pulled out the classics.

On its own, the new tunes are laudable for both Sting's songwriting and the attempt to forge a unique sound from world sources. Knowing Sting's penchant for diversity, some folks may have been impressed when the drummer dismounted his kit, took the microphone and proceeded to rap in French. Others waited for 'Roxanne'.

There was a little gospel, a little reggae and even some country, but the most effective accents came from trumpet melodies resonant of Miles Davis, and Sting's intense vocalizations. Though his bass-playing is nothing fancy, Sting's voice is full of dramatic emotional energy that saved the concert from being boring.

Dressed in cargo pants and a black shirt, Sting's boyishness belied a 48-year-old musician whose career began with the Police in the early 1980s. The famous trio was only faintly remembered in concert, as Sting culled his older selections mainly from his later solo albums.

To the delight of the people who came to sing along with tunes like 'Every Breath You Take', and 'If I Ever Lose My Faith In You', Sting's performance closely mimicked his recordings. The real magic occurred, how- ever, when Sting departed from the usual renditions, which happened more with the untried material.

A country tune called 'Fill Her Up', which sounds almost folksy on the album, came off as a rollicking honky-tonk brawler. Toward the end of the show, Sting played 'Message in a Bottle' as a solo piece on an acoustic guitar. The tune 'Seven Days' brought in extended breaks with jazzy highlights. With a Tom Waits-like grain to his voice, Sting's 'Moon Over Bourbon Street' had the evening's only bounce.

As Sting becomes lighter in his themes and his sound, the rift between the old and new material will continue to grow. The result was like attending two different shows, running simultaneously, neither with a sense of freshness or ingenuity.

(c) Tampa Bay Times by Christopher Blank