Sacred Love: 2003/05

Sting - Pure Gold...

Sometimes it's nice to not be a fan because you don't have too many expectations at a concert. Then, you are hardly ever disappointed, and you also don't stand in awe when the man appears.

That, however, was not the case when a small group of us were invited to meet Gordon 'Sting'' Sumner before his show in Bukit Jalil last Tuesday.

When Sting appeared in his black pin-striped suit, there was a sudden hush.

Relaxed, stylish and ever-obliging, the superstar spent half an hour, chatting with each one in the room backstage and signing all kinds of mementos including sketches and portraits of him (one apparently to be presented to the Prime Minister later).

Soon enough, the sacred half-hour was over.

For the record, Sting sounded far better at Bukit Jalil than he did in the Lion City where there was this feeling that he was somewhat tired, and rushing through some songs, especially the hits from his Police days.

In KL, he was far more composed and relaxed, each and every chart-buster coming across in a confident groove, and this was evident especially in his fourth song as he lulled the crowd with a quiet 'shhhh' as he plucked his way on requinto on 'Dead Man's Rope', commanding pin-drop silence throughout the song.

Sting had himself a marvellous Malaysian crowd that night, for while they paid quiet respect to all his ballads, they sure knew how to stand up and groove along to his more powerful chart-busters.

Unlike many stars who have songs composed for them, Sting was there in his own element. The songs were all his, straight from the heart, and like he said in his interview, the week before: ''I can't just wake up and start writing at nine in the morning. I need to be inspired.''

These were the songs that came from inspiration over the last 25 years, songs about loves won and lost, misfortune, hope, and even disasters like the 9-11 crash in New York.

Sting kept his show jovial and didn't say a word about the recent tsunami tragedy during the two-hour concert, but when this 'Sacred Love' World Tour is over this month, he would have helped to raise more than RM5 million for relief efforts from his performances.

Back at the concert, he had some advice for everyone: ''Be yourself no matter what they say.''

And there were roars of recognition with the intro to every song. The great thing about the Stinger at his concert was that he allowed each and every one in his band flirt with the spotlight.

That's the heart of the man who once spearheaded The Police, then went solo and sophisticated, and is now planning to come full circle and strip his band and music right down to the basics for a tour of US universities and colleges that kicks off in April.

Talking to him, there is a feeling that he just wants and needs to chill out during this coming tour; to find himself, learn who he is at this point of his life and career, discover what makes him angry these days, and hopefully find the inspiration that will fire him to create more fields of gold.

(c) New Straits Times by Errol de Cruz

Definitely stinging - this ought to summarise Sting's 'Sacred Love World Tour' at Putra Indoor Stadium in Bukit Jalil last night...

Throughout the two-hour concert, Sting effortlessly mesmerised the 7,000-strong crowd with his vocal prowess, stage presence and the excellent music of his seven-piece back-up band.

Well, it was, after all, a concert by Sting, one of the few solo male artists who appeal to music lovers worldwide.

With his former group, The Police, he gave us hits like 'Every Breath You Take', 'Roxanne' and 'King of Pain'.

As a solo artist, he gave us more big hits like 'If You Love Somebody Set Them Free', 'If I Ever Lose My Faith in You' and 'Desert Rose'.

And to have him performing in a concert here, was definitely a treat for his fans and music lovers alike.

Familiar faces at the concert last night included local celebrities like Sheila Majid, Ning Baizura, Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir, Youth and Sport Minister Datuk Azalina Othman and racer Alex Yoong.

Unlike other high-profile concerts, the crowd was not made to wait that long before they could hear the first note of the night.

At 9pm, the stadium lights were dimmed and when they came on again, Sting and his band were standing in the middle of the stage, ready to rock.

Clad in a pin-striped black jacket and black pants, he took a while to observe the screaming crowd.

And then he went into the first song, 'Send Your Love', taken from his latest album 'Sacred Love' followed by 'Message in A Bottle', one of his classics from his days with the Police.

By then, the crowd knew that it was going to be an evening full of Sting's timeless songs.

Throughout the next two hours, fans were treated to one after another of his hits like 'Fields of Gold', 'Englishman in New York' and 'Shape of My Heart'.

Sting also did a couple of hits from his days with the Police, like 'Roxanne' and 'Every Little Thing She Does is Magic'.

After he delivered the 14th song for the evening, 'Roxanne', Sting disappeared backstage.

Expectedly, he reappeared for the encore, and what an encore it was.

First he did, 'Desert Rose', then he went into 'If I Ever Lose My Faith In You'.

And what other song would be more appropriate for him to wrap a memorable evening than 'Every Breath You Take'?

Watching the smile on the faces of Sting's fans as they left the stadium, it was surely a night to remember.

Sting's 'Sacred Love Tour' was brought to Malaysia by Lushington & Jo Jo Entertainment.

(c) The Malay Mail by Adly Syairi Ramly

Sting rocks 6,000 fans with classic and new hits at concert...

After an 11-year wait, Sting fans in Malaysia got to see ''the Englishman in Kuala Lumpur'' last night.

Holding court at the Putra Stadium in Bukit Jalil for almost two hours, the music icon performed classic songs - from his rock band The Police days - as well as new tracks from his seventh solo studio album, 'Sacred Love', to an appreciative 6,000-strong audience.

Some of the songs performed were 'Englishman in New York', 'Message in a Bottle', 'Sacred Love', 'Fragile', 'Desert Rose', 'Roxanne' and everyone's favourite, 'Every Breath You Take'.

Before introducing his band members, Sting, whose real name is Gordon Sumner, welcomed the KL crowd by saying ''Selamat petang'' (Good Evening) and ''Apa khabar semua? (How are you all?)''

The crowd went wild and the people screamed throughout the concert.

Spotted in the crowd were Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Azalina Othman, rock queen Ella, Malaysian AIDS Foundation chairman Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir and actress/model Kavitha Kaur.

The 53-year-old rock star arrived here on Sunday night from Seoul, South Korea, where he performed for two nights.

His concerts in Asia are in line with his Sacred Love World Tour, which began in January 2003.

His one-night performance in Malaysia will be followed by two performances in Bangalore and New Delhi in India.

The final leg of his tour is in Australia, where he will play for three nights.

One of the concert dates - Feb 10 - is a benefit show to raise funds for the victims of the tsunami disaster.

It was arranged after Sting was forced to cancel a show in Sri Lanka due to the disaster. He hopes to raise A$1mil (RM2.97mil).

Sting's show in Malaysia was presented by Malaysia's Jojo Entertainment and Singapore-based regional promoters Lushington Entertainments.

(c) The Star Online