Hammersmith Odeon - Sting...
Sting is certainly mellowing with age. Or at least he's stopped taking himself so seriously. No longer a melancholic designer visionary caged behind vary lights on a distant arena stage. Sting has come down to meet the people, refreshed, in 501's with a mug of tea in one hand, chatting easily to the audience.
There is new zest in his music and in his performance, which could only be enhanced by his choice of an entirely more intimate venue such as the Odeon.
The old Police numbers seem to change with each tour. But given his lasting partnership with brilliant saxophonist Branford Marsalis, it is perhaps inevitable that 'Roxanne', 'King of Pain' and 'When The World Is Running Down are tending towards jazz-fusion, with Dominic Miller delivering some stunning guitar work which wouldn't disgrace a Morrissey-Mullen line-up.
The more recent material, 'Fortress Around Your Heart' and 'Fragile' - Sting's soberingly poignant finale - was half way there anyway, but they are enlivened by a new freshness.
Even if it is an altogether more relaxed show it is definitely for the grown-ups, one for sitting not standing to. The work from his latest album 'The Soul Cages', which gets a pretty hefty plug from being played in its entirety, is full of self-obsessed introspection notably in 'Island Of Souls' and the title song.
But it is musical poetry and has a brighter, world music feel to it than previous work, not too far from Paul Simon's 'Graceland', particularly in 'All This Time', while 'Mad About You' has distinct Latin flavour.
'When Angels Fall' takes on the air of a classical recital, moody and lyrical, which by comparison makes 'Every Breath You Take' sound like the scribblings of a lovestruck teenager. A phase which Sting thankfully appears to be pulling out of. But then he's hardly a teenager anymore, is he?
(c) The Stage by Helen Gould
Sting keeps it tight on stage...
It's nearly three years since Sting last played live in London, and that was at Wembley stadium to a massive audience as part of the huge Amnesty concert.
Last week, however, found him at the slightly more intimate Hammersmith Odeon without the serious jazz musicians who accompanied him on his last UK tour. In their place came a tight rock band of keyboards, guitar and drums reminiscent of the exciting Police days.
Opening the two-hour set with the recent hit 'All This Time' from his chart-topping 'Soul Cages' album Sting set the pace for an exciting show which included many of his thoughtful solo songs, but also some real crowd pleasers from the Police days.
'Roxanne' from 1979 got the capacity crowd on their feet as did a blistering cover version of the Jimi Hendrix classic 'Purple Haze'. After years of saving rainforests Sting has lost none of his bite in the rock and roll arena.
Front row rating: 8 out of 10
(c) The Sunday People
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