Summoner's Tales: 1993/95

Pop for advanced players - Sting's eclectic potpourri at the Hallenstadion...

The 44-year-old British pop icon Sting stands for the intelligent exploitation of a wide variety of musical styles. While during his Police days, he still played simple and effective rock and reggae sounds as a conscious counterpoint to the flourishing punk movement in England, Sting returned to his musical roots as a solo artist. The passable (jazz) bassist always surrounds himself with first-class jazz musicians in the studio and on stage. But on the sparse stage of the almost packed Hallenstadion, this entertaining evening once again shows that Sting, as an instrumentalist, can't quite hold a candle to his musical peers.

A somewhat overexcited Vinnie Colaiuta on drums, for example, occasionally indulges in contemplation of his delicate belly, shows difficulty concentrating, and yet is largely convincing. Dominic Miller's discreet guitar playing is consistently inspired, but, like the energetic, two-piece horn section, at times struggles to hold its own against the rhythm section. Keyboardist Kenny Kirkland delivers a highlight with a ten-minute solo. The fact that Sting enjoys the respect he deserves as a musician among his colleagues, despite the obvious limitations of his solid bass playing, is likely due to his undisputed qualities as an intelligent songwriter. On stage, he also impresses as a frontman with his strong presence, charisma, and a distinctive, crystal-clear voice. This voice has been Sting's trademark since the beginning of his almost 20-year career, and his interesting, multifaceted, and committed personality has long since contributed just as much to the success of the Sting brand.

Having risen from humble beginnings to become a castle owner, he attempts to credibly interpret Brecht, makes films, saves the rainforest, is active with Amnesty International, practices tantric love rituals for hours, is a father of five, has a kind word for the Pope, and is fundamentally not against ecstasy. The extremely heterogeneous audience (including at the Zurich concert) adores him despite this – or perhaps precisely because of it. Is it the admiration for a man who, in an age of increasing disorientation, has come to terms with himself and the world – who always intuitively finds the best bargains in the supermarket of social trends and phenomena? Sting, the ambitious educated citizen who knows in every respect how to steal with outrageous intelligence and then brew a delicious cocktail that everyone enjoys, Gordon Matthew Sumner, aka Sting, stands by this. Blue-eyed, with a certain amount of naivety, and seemingly without calculation. The latter makes him likeable. It's no coincidence that he dedicates 'Mercury Falling', his current album, to Mercury, the god of merchants and thieves. The title also likely represents his mercurial, creative volatility.

How quickly the mood can change in the audience was demonstrated several times this evening. Between two blocks of songs from the new, much-underrated CD, wildly acclaimed Sting and Police hits followed. Worth mentioning is the worthwhile jam session centred around the Police hit 'Roxanne'. With aggressive interpretations of songs like 'Demolition Man', the mood softened again before a final set of well-known songs provided a harmonious conclusion.

(c) Neue Zuercher Zeitung