Broken Music: 2005/06

Sting's concert at Petrovardine Fortress...

"He exists, he's here and he's singing for us" - was just one of the comments that could be heard at Sting's concert on Monday night held at Petrovardine Fortress. It may sound prosaic or maybe even pathetic, but that's always taken into account when it comes to emotions, and there were plenty of them this evening.

In front of about 20,000 people, for almost two hours, Sting showed how the greats do it and why he has a star and the British title of Sir next to his name. That's why many (expected?) comments were not even heard, just as not a shred of contempt could be seen because the audience's wish for a few more songs was not fulfilled.

In general, anyone who found themselves at the Fortress that evening can rightly say that they were respected, at least when it comes to the musicians. Just as one might say that Sting did not come to "do" Novi Sad, the well-known perfectionist made the audience feel that a world-class guest had arrived, with a well-coordinated team, and that he left nothing to chance, not even going out for more encores than planned.

Sting gave the lead of the performance to his son Joe Sumner, who warmed up the audience for about an hour with his band Fiction Plane. However, it was not long before the stage went dark after them, and when Tvrdava, after "Good evening Novi Sad and Serbia", heard the first bars of "Message in the Bottle", it was clear that what the audience had been able to hear on records or compact discs so far was not studio-made, polished and unachievable live.

Therefore, it is not surprising to feel that, when it comes to Sting, there is no deception and that he is a man who manages to sing an entire concert in one breath and that he is in complete harmony with the instrument he plays. That is why the comments of those who, having heard, among other songs, 'Englishman in New York', 'Walking On The Moon', 'Fields of Gold', 'Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic', 'Shape Of My Heart', feel that they have finally seen and heard before them what they have only had the opportunity to listen to on players or gramophones.

That is precisely why the expression on the face of one of the audience members, perhaps even Sting's peers, who came to the concert with her son, is not surprising. Whatever it may sound, there was something ritualistic in this woman's smile and folded palms. Just as there was something so good in the people from Belgrade, Niš, Kragujevac, Novi Sad and many other cities in Serbia and neighbouring countries who almost made a pilgrimage to the Fortress on Monday. And among these Sting fans there were different generations, because some came just for 'Rodzanne', while for others 'Desert Rose' is one of their favourites.

The confident sound of two guitars - Dominic Miller and Lyle Workman, the support on drums by Abe Laboriel and Sting's bass and voice made the audience call them for an encore twice and wish for a third time. 'Fragile' was the last, sung in harmony with a man of the stature of an English prince in wide trousers, a modest jacket and the energy that requires a bow. The audience probably felt it too, who at times sounded like an echo of Sting, without too loud tones, and who certainly made this Englishman not be an ''alien'' in Novi Sad, but to show them his thousand faces and to be himself no matter what. This Briton probably felt it too, and as he left Tvrdava and Novi Sad, he gave the audience his blessing and said he would come again.

(c) Dnevnik by D. Lubarda