This is what the Sting concert in Graz was like...
The sting still stings - even at 67, which you wouldn't guess from his athletic physique, Sting is a guarantee of entertainment. On Thursday evening, the Brit performed "My Songs" at the Graz Open Air and didn't miss a single one-and-a-half-hour performance of his hits, whether with The Police or solo. In a show that lasted a good hour and a half, the Brit impressed with his stage presence.
"Welcome to this one-man show," sang Sting, born Gordon Sumner, into the balmy summer evening at the Graz exhibition centre. "As lonely," as the song's title suggests, he wasn't on stage, but the Brit still knows how to shine after more than 40 years. With a steady voice, elegant even in the high notes, and a performance that never seemed tired, he captivated the audience. He didn't need mega-screens, confetti, or any other gimmicks.
And it was during "So Lonely," in the middle of the concert, that the audience could no longer stay in their seats. They jumped to their feet and streamed toward the stage, past the almost powerless security. Sting had achieved what he wanted – a standing audience singing and clapping along.
One could have easily expected this from the beginning, as he opened the concert with "Message in a Bottle" from 1979, even just minutes before 9 p.m. During the song, he greeted everyone: "Good evening Graz!" From the very first minute, it was clear: This man still plays often and enjoys it – his bass guitar well-worn, his chords perfect. His appearance may have changed somewhat. The clean-shaven, wrinkle-free handsome man of the 70s has become a rugged "spiked" man with a white stubble – and it suits him.
Although Sting is known as a winter fan, the warm summer evening barely made him break a sweat. He even cheered on the crowd and, after "Englishman in New York" and "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic," impressed them with his German skills: "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I'm happy to be in Graz. How are you?" But the audience was still waiting for its fiery response.
By the time "Seven Days" began, feet in the audience were barely still, before Sting ushered in the romantic part of the evening with "Fields of Gold" – with gentle moments, soft drum sounds, and his unmistakable voice taking centre stage. By the middle of the concert, after "So Lonely" and "Desert Rose," the entire audience was standing. It was pointless to resist singing along. The Arabian sounds nestled against the July night in Graz. This song, his commercial comeback in 1999, marked the finale.
It was hard to believe that "Roxanne" was initially a failure for The Police in 1978, as it brought the Brit to thunderous applause on Thursday evening. Then it was time for him to take a breather for a minute, during which he sat down on stage and, in true British style, took a few sips from a cup of tea to fortify himself for the last few songs.
The audience had been waiting for this for a long time, and "Every Breath You Take" from 1983 was all the sweeter for it. The tearjerker stayed at number 1 for eight weeks in the US charts and four weeks in the UK charts. It's still breathtakingly beautiful today.
As an encore, the Brit with his band and convincing backing singers performed "King of Pain", "Next to You" and an acclaimed "Fragile", with which the musician gently dismissed his audience into the night - "Goodbye".
(c) k.at
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