Sacred Love: 2003/05

Nearly 8,000 people attend Sting's concert in Benidorm...

According to organizers, nearly 8,000 people attended the Benidorm Bullring to witness British singer Sting's performance tonight, where he presented some songs from his latest album, "Sacred Love." The concert, which precedes last night's performance at the Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona in front of nearly 10,500 people, is part of the singer's tour promoting "Sacred Love," an album marked by the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York.

Sting, who appeared on stage at 10:30 p.m. after singer and pianist Nellie McKay had performed for thirty minutes as the opening act, played the first chords of the song "Send Your Love," with which he began his performance. "A Thousand Years" was used by the British singer to bid farewell to the audience gathered in Benidorm, in the Marina Baixa region. The stage Sting chose for his performance was dominated by the colours white, gray, black, and silver, which served as the backdrop for the three panoramic screens, which reflected images in keeping with the songs he was singing, including nature motifs, female silhouettes, and symbols such as the peace symbol.

The British singer, who performed for nearly two hours, came on stage dressed similarly to his appearance yesterday in Barcelona, wearing a black shirt with white cuffs and dark-coloured pants. During his performance, Sting performed songs from his latest album, such as "Send Your Love," "Inside," and "Sacred Love," but also featured some of the legendary songs of the former leader and vocalist of The Police, such as "Roxanne." After "Send Your Love," which the audience received with energetic applause, Sting continued with the song "Inside," after which he introduced his band members: Jason Rebello on piano, Dominic Miller on guitar, Keith Carlock on drums, Rhani Krija on percussion, Kipper on synthesizers, and Donna Gardiner and Joy Rose on backing vocals.

Afterward, Sting greeted the thousands of people gathered in Benidorm with a "Hello everyone, nice to meet you," which caused a huge uproar among the audience. The concert continued with songs like "Dead Man's Rope," "Whenever I Say Your Name," "Senses," and "This War." The three screens in the background showed several planes unloading missiles, as well as several oil plants, a reference to the Iraq War, where reds, yellows, and grays were the predominant colours. Of the eighteen songs Sting performed, the ones that garnered the most applause and cheers were "Fields," "Englishman," the legendary "Roxanne," and "Every Breath," a song that brought the thousands of attendees at the Benidorm bullring to their feet, sing, and dance euphorically alongside Sting. After this song, Sting left the stage, but the audience's clamour to come back and force him to close his concert with "A Thousand Years."

Before the performance, British singer Gordon Matthew Summer, popularly known as Sting, received the Natura Foundation Award, which recognizes the work that prominent public figures do to promote the survival of the planet.

(c) Spanish Newswire Service