Sting Showcases “His Songs” at Budweiser Gardens Show...

Music legend Sting entertained a sold out crowd at London’s Budweiser Gardens Thursday August 25. The seemingly ageless Brit is continuing his My Songs tour which began in spring of 2019 and also supporting his latest album The Bridge which was released in November of 2021.

The evening began with an acoustic set from Sting’s son Joe Sumner whose vocal style occasionally bears resemblance to his more famous father. This isn’t a new gig for him opening for dad. His band Fiction Plane who have four studio albums opened for The Police during their 2007 reunion tour. Sumner’s debut solo album is due for release sometime this year and his folksy love songs were warmly received by the large crowd in attendance.

The main attraction, Gordon Mathew Thomas Sumner, or as everyone including his own family call him, Sting, walked out to a standing and cheering crowd and performed Message in a Bottle, one of the great reggae style Police fan favourites and a song that got the capacity crowd clapping and singing along from the get go.

The show continued with a few more big hits in Englishman in New York, Every Little Thing She Does is Magic and All This Time before slowing down a little with a trio of songs from his latest album “The Bridge”. The new music is good, I don’t think he’s capable of writing bad songs, but it is less recognizable and it’s probably good pacing for him to play them in a pocket early in the show.

After a couple of big hits “If I Ever Lose My Faith in You” and “Fields of Gold”, Sting addressed the crowd. One of his favourite music moments was Stevie Wonder playing harmonica on Brand New Day and he proceeded to introduce his harmonica player Shane Sager. He said, “Shane, how old are you?” in which he replied, “Going on 17”. He’s actually 28 and has been Sting’s harmonica player for a few years. Continuing the joke he asked him if he told his mother yet that he quit college to join a band.

There were plenty of highlights during the show with Sting giving band members opportunity to take the spotlight including giving a couple of the backup singers the microphone for some lead vocals. For the song King of Pain, his son Joe Sumner came out and shared the vocals with dad.

A string of Police hits finished the main set with Walking on the Moon, So Lonely, King of Pain, and Every Breath You Take. For the encore he performed his biggest hit, Roxanne and then finished with the song Fragile from 1987’s Nothing Like The Sun. He said, “I want to play something quiet and thoughtful, so you go home quiet and thoughtful, I know” He commented that he could see a couple of Ukrainian flags out there and that yesterday was Ukrainian Independence day. He said they want their independence and they have that right. So it was a sombre finish to the show but it was a great show. As always, Sting delivers and offers a little something for everyone at the show.

© 519 Magazine by Dan Boshart