Sting 3.0

Sting's refined minimalist aesthetics pierced the tour to Japan! The first day performance report that fascinated me with the trio formation since The Police...

Sting's tour to Japan started from the Hyogo performance on September 12th. In this tour, which has been a hot topic for the trio formation since The Police, the latest songs in the new band are performed not only by the classics of the The Police era, but also the latest songs in the new band. The official report and live photos of the first day have arrived from such a long-awaited Japan tour. 

Sting, who achieved global success at The Police and celebrates his 40th anniversary since his solo debut in 1985. For the first time in two years, STING 3.0 JAPAN TOUR 2025 started with the GLION ARENA KOBE, a new arena in Kobe, which opened in April this year. This tour will be in a new group of trio formations since The Police, and the members are guitarist Dominic Miller and drummer Chris Maas, who have supported Sting for many years.

While the entire arena was full of anticipation before the performance started, the live was greeted with a big cheer and began from “Message In A Bottle”. Sting, who appeared from a slender and good-natured with a bass, counts strongly as "1, 2, 3" and sings. In the song, “Kobe!” When I called out to him, the spectator's enthusiasm rose at a stretch, and a powerful long tone echoed through every corner of the arena. "I Wrote Your Name (Upon My Heart)" It is a rock 'n' roll-regression number reminiscent of Bo Didley, and with the singing of a masculine sting, he created a dynamistic groove.

“Englishman In New York” encourages calls and responses and craps from the beginning to the audience, and impresses strongly with the message “Be yourself no matter what they say” with a reflex.

Sting does not have a stand microphone, but uses a headset-type microphone, which moves on the stage as if overlooking the entire arena. It is a simple outfit with a T-shirt and black slim pants, but it is a trained body without luxury even beyond Koki, and how cool it is with its tightness. When he finished singing, he smiled with a gentle smile and said, "O-kini" in the Kansai-style way. Sometimes he spreads his hands wide and cuts himself, or hangs with a scat to reduce the distance to the audience.

In the middle, you can get drunk again with the beauty and mellowness of "Fields Of Gold" pulled by a clean tone guitar. "Never Coming Home" and "Mad About You" and "Wrapped Around Your Finger" are slow-tempo songs.

After that, the live performance is played with a warm song again towards the end. Sting's protest song "Driven To Tears" is played with a fast guitar that folds from the intro, and the beat of the drum accelerates. The refrain of "Driven tT Tears" is hotly stuck in the chest, and it is also a big applause here. In “Can’t Stand Losing You”, the audience’s clap increased, and the call and response increased the heat, and the seamless flow that led to the lyrical “Shape Of My Heart” that cheered from the intro was exactly white eyebrows. The last two songs were “King of Pain” and “Every Breath You Take.”

In response to the unstoppable applause, in the encore, “Roxanne” was sung as if it was hotly incited under the red light, and the voltage of the entire venue was at its highest again. The last song is "Fragile" with a message of non-violence. The sound of the acoustic guitar, where Sting delicately plays, penetrated my heart and closed the curtain with a thoughtful afterglow.

This stage was also a stage set and directing with a sophisticated minimalist aesthetic. On top of that, the performance in the new trio that is energetic and precise, and incorporates ad-lib elements. Fans and listeners who have experienced many sting live shows so far will surely feel a fresh listener. After this, we hope you will experience the supreme stage of Sting, which continues to be a legend on the Japan tour held in Tokyo, Nagoya, and Fukuoka.

(c) Mikiki by Amy Nonaka