Soul Cages: 1991/92

Sting is a chameleon. You never know exactly what musical colour he'll take, and that, partly because he prioritizes quality, makes him an extremely interesting musician.

Last night, in a packed and sweltering Statenhal in The Hague, the 39-year-old singer proved capable of changing colors very quickly, meaning the wonderful evening arrived a little earlier than usual this year.

Sting is performing his series of Dutch concerts this time with an extremely small ensemble. He hasn't opened up a whole new world of brass, backing vocals, and drummers, but opts for the basics with drums, guitar, and keyboards. He's made things even more difficult for himself by leaving the extravagant stage design of a Madonna concert at home, for example, meaning it all comes down to whether he holds his own musically.

Aside from a colourful array of lights, the bassist has nothing to hide behind. Yet, in the hour and forty-five minutes he's on stage (including an encore), he manages to captivate the audience, whip them into a frenzy of excitement, and passionately tickle their fancy.

He has to work incredibly hard to achieve this, not by working his way through the rock-solid material in an exceptionally skilful, sometimes beautifully polished way. And he barely needs two minutes to do so.

But Sting's musical triumph can't be attributed solely to him. The trio accompanying him seems born with the instrument in their hands. This is especially evident when the quartet improvises away.

And that happens frequently. While stretching out a song can significantly enhance its beauty, there's also the danger that such a parade of notes can become a misfire. This often happens with works with a simple structure, which The Police, the singer's first band, seemed to have a patent on.

With Sting, however, there was never a moment of danger. He guided his group so tightly through that loose musical style that they remained blooming roses instead of wilted tulips. This resulted in truly brilliant moments, such as during the cover "Ain't No Sunshine" or the (sentimental) interwoven "Why Should I Cry For You?" and "If I Was A Carpenter."

The only times the group fell short were during the truly jazzy material. In those cases, a synthesizer proved absolutely incapable of replacing a brass section. Keyboardist Kenny Kirkland, who swung incredibly hard, tried his best to make everyone forget Branford Marsalis's saxophone.

Guitarist Dominic Miller was also put to considerable strain, sometimes playing with extreme subtlety, only to unleash his string parts thickly on the audience the next. His spatial playing occasionally allowed him to reveal that he'd listened to U2's The Edge, as in "King Of Pain."

Having learned the lessons of the years, Sting must have known that the most sensitive ballads from his latest LP, "The Soul Cages," wouldn't resonate with the audience as easily as the (reggae-tinged) hit material. But he had found the perfect solution. Sting brought his audience to a frenzy with hits like "Roxanne," featuring precise choral interludes.

This was followed by the swinging "VCR," which was sung along to enthusiastically and, after a lengthy improvisation, eventually evolved into a modern pop-gospel. After "Fortress Around Your Heart," he launched into some extremely sensitive ballads, songs like "The Wild Wild Sea" and "The Soul Cages."

Just when the audience was starting to get restless and had apparently had enough of the beauty, the quartet delivered a spectacular performance with the Jimi Hendrix cover "Purple Haze." And a somewhat brutal transition, yes, but effective. 'Every Breath' and 'Message In A Bottle' followed in this musically stimulating show that showed Sting as the master of simplicity.

Not everyone endured the show completely. As the concert progressed and the heat increased, the number of intoxicated and passed-out people (especially girls) grew, and more beer 'flowed' into the venue.

Those who had to drop out will get a small second chance on television on Sunday, when Sting, along with Peter Gabriel and Sinead O'Connor, will perform for the Kurds in the Statenhal. The recording, which will be broadcast on Nederland 1 from 9:00 PM, will take place on Friday.

(c) Haagsche Courant by Hans Piët