Sting and Shaggy divide the roles fairly at Concert at Sea...
There's always a boss: Bløf is the boss of Concert at Sea, but Sting and Shaggy were the guests of honour at the Brouwersdam last night. They were welcomed by Paskal Jakobsen and his bandmates just after nine o'clock. Sting and Shaggy closed the second day of the festival on the main stage.
From the very first notes, it's all good. "Englishman in New York." Sting is on the Brouwersdam. Thousands sing along: "I don't take coffee, I take tea, my dear," and especially the "wohoo" before the chorus. The former lead singer of The Police stands centre stage, his bass guitar tuned a bit louder than usual, wearing a simple T-shirt. Yet, it's not all about him. Shaggy swirls from left to right: sunglasses, gold-coloured, glittering jacket with red trim.
He's definitely not the sidekick. The world stars have divided the roles equally. Shaggy sings the chorus of a Sting song, and vice versa. Their songs or the set list are featured almost interchangeably, with a few songs from their joint album 44/876, especially at the beginning. The question beforehand was whether they would draw primarily from that album or from the band's rich arsenal of hits. 44/876 was certainly not well-received by the critics. While the album isn't as bad as some claim, it's neither fish nor fowl—not quite Shaggy, not quite Sting. The new material doesn't dominate, and that's a good thing, because the audience jumps to their feet whenever a classic comes on. Songs like "Every little thing she does is magic," "Message in a bottle," "Fields of glory," where Shaggy stirs the audience to transform the Brouwersdam into a sea of lights, and "Angel."
It's a bit of a bitter pill to swallow during "Crooked Tree," when Shaggy dresses up as a judge, complete with a robe and white wig, and Sting is dressed in a prison uniform. Amateur theatrics set to a bland tune—it's the biggest negative in a show that's mostly positive. Because what a repertoire the men have to draw on, as they work towards the finale. "Welcome to this two-man show," Sting changes the lyrics to the still-exciting "So lonely," as 40,000 people bounce along. "Hey sexy lady," a mix of "Roxanne" and "Boombastic," "It wasn't me," with all arms raised, and the closing act, "Every breath you take." It's a full moon, and two stars shine by the sea.
(c) Gelderlander by Cornelleke Blok
You must have a display name to comment.
Follow the button below to create your display name.
CREATE A DISPLAY NAME