Mercury Falling: 1996/97

Sting at the Bourbon Street Cafe: Dutch fan sings along with Sting...

"When I saw that video later, I burst into tears." Ed Citroen from Spijkenisse still can't believe it. He's been a Sting fan for 15 years, and suddenly he was on stage with his idol and even got to perform a song with him! The encounter took place at the fan club meeting last Saturday morning at Amsterdam's Cafe Bourbon Street. The superstar, who was performing two shows at Amsterdam's Paradiso in preparation for his world tour, had gotten up early especially for the occasion. But to his dismay, he discovered a stage with a microphone waiting for him. "They expect you to sing a few songs early in the morning. Not my favourite thing to do," the 44-year-old multimillionaire told me after his successful Paradiso concert.

For Ed, however, it was the morning of his life. Because after the two songs Sting performed for his Dutch fans, he was allowed to sing his self-written Dutch song "Tijd Tijd (Het gaat zo snel)," which is about Sting, for the former bassist. "And then I got to sing 'Message In A Bottle' with him," Ed proudly explains. "You don't know what's going through your mind when you look up and see your idol sitting next to you. He turns out to be a really nice guy, without any airs and graces. Incidentally, Sting brought his guitarist along, and he accompanied him on his guitar," Ed adds.

(c) Telegraaf by Ron Peereboom Voller (thanks to Markus)

Sting seeks balance at Paradiso...

Calling him a liar is going too far. Let's put it mildly and say that Sting has a very selective memory. Whenever asked about anecdotes from the past, the 44-year-old singer shakes his head and says he simply doesn't remember enough of that time to be able to comply with such a request. Especially when it concerns his days with The Police.

This weekend, when the English pop star twice took to the small stage of Paradiso in Amsterdam, Sting must have had a unique flash of clarity. He suddenly knew the exact date of his last concert there by heart: March 25, 1977. The Police were opening for Wayne County & The Electric Chairs. Who said? Yes, that's how it goes in the pop world. "I have to say: things have changed here," Sting told his audience of over a thousand on the first night. "Paradiso has become more beautiful."

It was once again a unique occasion, a superstar like Sting performing with his band in a venue from the Dutch club circuit. The two shows were intended as a prelude to a long European tour. He could see them as the missing link between the rehearsal space and the Sportpaleis Ahoy. Unique? Without a doubt, but among celebrated pop musicians, it's a trend to return to the intimacy of playing in a club, rather than a sports hall or stadium. They often choose Amsterdam for venues that were, in fact, a few sizes too small for them. As a result, the audience has even become somewhat accustomed to the phenomenon. At Sting's concert in Paradiso, there were no lines of people clamouring for tickets. The door was simply marked with a long sign announcing, among other things, that cameras would be present that evening. "It comes and goes that you have to behave yourself inside," the polite Paradiso doorman announced. "Before you know it, you'll be on television."

That doorman, accustomed to somewhat rougher music than Sting's, forgot to behave. Even just before the concert started, the excitement wasn't palpable. Completely unconsciously, Sting also contributed to the slightly respectable mood of the audience. It will have been rare in Paradiso's history for the show to start exactly on time. At ten o'clock sharp, Sting took the stage.

The performance got off to a flying start. Understandably, because it always causes an unusual commotion to see someone who has sold millions of CDs up close like that. No fan can resist Sting at a distance. His torso clad in a zebra-print shirt, he looked youthful, almost boyish. But in this case, there was more at play than just charming and being charmed. The music sounded exceptionally good. Even in those first few minutes, it was clear that no better band had performed in Amsterdam this year than Sting's. Furthermore, the sound had been meticulously tuned.

After a few songs, the euphoria subsided. The concerts at Paradiso also offered Sting a unique opportunity to test the songs from his new CD, "Mercury Falling." And that, unfortunately, proved to be much less successful. Even in person, the repertoire from this CD, by far his weakest solo album, proved to be uninspiring. The turbulent songs with lifeless, lazy arrangements didn't immediately transform into true masterpieces of musical ingenuity in a small Amsterdam venue. They often even got in the way, dragging down a well-maintained performance.

Somewhere three-quarters of the way through the performance, Sting and his accompanists cleverly regrouped. They had managed to find the perfect balance between good songs and an exceptionally high technical level. It was disappointing that even in the unusual surroundings of Paradiso, there were no surprises. Well-known highlights like 'Fragile,' 'Roxanne,' and 'Englishman In New York' once again added the most colour to the finale of his new show. Sting still has thirty days left before his concerts at Ahoy. That should be enough to make something very beautiful, something very balanced.

(c) Algemeen Dagblad by David Kleijwegt

Sting: a perfect but sedate show...

More and more big stars are finding their way to the intimate and legendary Paradiso in Amsterdam. The former church in the capital has previously hosted shows by top artists like David Bowie and Lenny Kravitz, and last year it was the Rolling Stones who rocked the pop venue in preparation for their European tour.

The latest in line is Sting. The former Police bassist gave two try out concerts there on Saturday and last night for his upcoming world tour, which will take him to the Ahoy in Rotterdam at the end of this month. And this 44-year-old superstar had little trouble convincing the select group of guests, international press representatives, and fans in the intimate atmosphere of the Paradiso of the quality of his latest series of songs, which he has compiled on his latest CD, "Mercury Falling."

He'd previously stated that he'd chosen Paradiso – where he'd played with The Police on the eve of their big breakthrough in 1977 – to thank his ever-loyal Dutch fans for their unwavering support. That they can get on his nerves, too, became clear halfway through the concert, when an irritated Sting grabbed two bright yellow inflatable saxophones from fans constantly waving in his face. Later, he had them mime to the back of the stage with his brass section to get rid of the overly enthusiastic duo.

(c) Unknown newspaper