Something special at the State...
The best concerts are almost always defined by a moment of magic, by a single second, the point at which they move from the merely enjoyable to the truly memorable.
On Sunday night at the State Theatre, the moment came about two-thirds of the way through Sting's set when the singer stopped proceedings to invite a member of the audience to come up and have a warble with him on the cheery little divorce song, 'I'm So Happy I Can't Stop Crying'.
David Jack, a 23-year-old club manager from Lansvale, was obviously shaky but his nervousness made him chatty rather than stagestruck. He and Sting joked around for a minute or two the star almost got him to propose to his girlfriend from the stage, a moment of sweet tension before they began to sing. After a single bar, Sting pulled up and asked his companion if he had any professional training.
"No," Dave said with his Cheshire Cat grin, "I've just done this 400 times at home."
If concerts are about the fans as much as the performers, and I believe they are, then this was a moment for all of us, a moment for anyone who has ever sung in front of a mirror or with their hands in the washing up.
It was the purest essence of pop. And it was strangely moving. It was a moment when Dave became the star, when the show deviated from the script, relocating to an unexpected, even better, place.
And to his credit, Sting let it happen. When the limelight moves away from them, you can always see the naked ego of performers. But Sting was more than gracious about Dave's moment of glory.
Indeed, he'd been more than gracious all night. For a man routinely derided by critics as po-faced and pretentious, he'd been the epitome of charm throughout the show.
Fronting a five-piece band (with a few extra backing singers on tape), Sting worked through a significant proportion of his latest record, 'Mercury Falling', and picked the eyes out of his back catalogue.
All of his solo albums were represented, with a few Police songs thrown in for good measure (my, but people go misty when he sings 'Every Breath You Take'. How many thousands of wedding receptions has it been an integral part of?).
Pulling back on the soloing that has weighed down some previous tours, the band was focused, energetic and committed to the music in a two-hour show that was perfectly paced and carefully structured. Even the sound and lighting, often the last refuge of the curmudgeonly critic, were faultless.
It was one of those nights when audience and band came together and created something special. The State Theatre positively rang with the joy of all involved.
Dave's grin was written on the faces of almost all the audience as they left. Just from the gossip in the foyer, it was obvious that this had been one of the best shows of the year. Sting's eighth State Theatre concert will go on sale on Thursday. Fight for a ticket.
(c) Sydney Morning Herald by Jon Casimir
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