He’s a legend and responsible for a number of massive global hits so when Big Concerts announced that they would be bringing Sting to perform four shows in South Africa, I was thrilled to get the chance to watch this icon live.
The star’s ‘My Songs’ tour supports his 2019 record of the same name which fifteen reworked versions of a selection of Sting’s most widely recognised songs from across his career.
The album gave the star the opportunity to bring his biggest hits to fans from around the world – and made it a family affair bringing out his son Joe Sumner to open for him. Joe brought his charisma and charm to the stage as he showed off that vocal talent certainly runs in the family.
At 71 years old, Sting proves that he still has that X-Factor as he performed for a near sold out show in Pretoria. Opening up with ‘Message In A Bottle’ was the perfect way to get fans pumped for the show.
The star went on to perform solo material an hits he released with The Police like ‘Englishman In New York’, ‘Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic’, ‘Desert Rose’, ‘Fields Of Gold’, ‘Roxanne’ and ‘Fragile’.
Vocally, Sting is still at the top of his game. His control is exceptional to watch and the crisp, clear, powerful performance he gave was certainly something to take in by someone who has been doing this for half a century.
Sting had the crowd eating from the palm of his hand. He’s effortlessly cool. He’s got charm and a whole bunch of stories about the songs that so many grew up with and which have had some sort of impact in the lives of concertgoers.
Giving fans plenty of iconic anthems they know and love, the singer, who looks amazing by the way, also shared four brand-new songs from his 2021 record ‘The Bridge’.
The singer also has an exceptional band who tours with him. Backing vocalists Melissa Musique and Gene Noble have some serious chops and major stage presence who add a whole lot of flair to the show. Drummer Zach Jones is also a marvel to watch while guitarist Dominic Miller, who has performed with Sting for 33 years, has a special chemistry with the rock star centered around trust which makes for some great moments on stage. However, it’s 28-year-old harmonica player Shane Sager who the audience can’t take their eyes off. Besides his insane talent, he has the most fun on stage and its electrifying to watch.
Sting, who is still on an intense touring regime which will see him perform around the globe until at least the end of the year, is the true definition of a rock star and watching him live is a not-so-subtle reminder of why the singer is one of the most successful in the genre.
Image: Courtesy of Big Concerts.
