Summer: 2012

Sting delights in Marbella at his first concert of his Spanish tour...

British singer Sting gave his first concert in Spain tonight as part of his 'Back to Bass' summer tour, which is touring Europe to celebrate his 25-year career. The artist delighted the audience with hits from The Police and his solo career.

Attendees of all ages flocked to the Tennis Club at the Puente Romano Hotel in Marbella (Málaga) today, attracting some 2,300 of the musician's fans, according to sources from the organization. The performance was glamorous, thanks to both the quality of the artists and the audience.

Sting took the stage thirty minutes later than scheduled, and at 10:30 p.m. the house lights dimmed as the British singer, bass in hand, and his musicians took the stage to launch straight into "All This Time," in a performance that lasted nearly two hours of nonstop hits.

"Good afternoon, everyone, Marbella," was the artist's greeting after finishing the first song, "Good Evening. Do you speak Spanish?" the singer joked with the largely foreign audience, and they were engaged from the very beginning.

The repertoire continued with a classic from the legendary band The Police, "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic," which drew a standing ovation from the audience, who accompanied the Brit from the chorus. This was followed by songs from his solo career, such as the hit "Englishman In New York."

Skinny in black leather pants and a tight gray T-shirt, Sting performed with his band the rocker "Demolition Man," the jazzy "Hung My Head," "Heavy Cloud," the electrifying "Driven To Tears," and the song "Fields Of Gold," for which he said he was inspired by the castle he bought in England.

With his bass faded from the chafing on his arm, the British musician launched into the opening chords of "Message In A Bottle," prompting the audience on the court and in the stands of the Tennis Club to rise to their feet and move to the beat. They also joined in the slower "Shape Of My Heart," to which several couples were encouraged to dance arm in arm.

The singer noted that his favourite series, "Bonanza," and his favourite film, "The Magnificent Seven," inspired him to compose "Love Is Stronger Than Justice," a country song with blues overtones, in which his fiddler, Peter Tickell, displayed a remarkable display of talent and won the audience over during a sonic confrontation with the rest of the musicians.

During the encore, Sting treated the audience to a somewhat improvised version of "Roxanne," which drove the audience wild and kept them on their feet until the end of the concert. The Arabic song "Desert Rose" played, and after "King of Pain," the chords of the classic "Every Breath You Take" rang out, ending with the rocking "Next to You."

During the concert, he was accompanied by Dominic Miller on guitar, David Sancious on keyboards, Vinnie Colaiuta on drums, Peter Tickell on electric violin, and Jo Lawry on vocals.

After a tour in which he translated his repertoire into an orchestral format in 2010, Sting returned to his role as vocalist and bassist, with a repertoire of songs that have become part of contemporary musical history.

The British musician and his band will travel to Ibiza tomorrow for their second concert in Spain, as part of the Ibiza 123 Rocktronic Festival.

The Police were founded in 1977 in London, England, by Sting, Stewart Copeland, and Andy Summers. Their unique sound fused new wave and reggae until their dissolution in 1986. Sting began his solo career in 1985 with "The Dream of the Blue Turtles," which is now celebrating 25 years as a solo artist.

(c) Diario Vasco