Review of Sting's Concert, Singapore Indoor Stadium, January 10 2005

[ Please don't read this if you're not interested, or if you're doing so only because you want to post nasty comments. Thank you.
And now, back to our normal programming. ]

Let me say this right now: STING IS HOT.

Let me also say that up till last night, I had never once thought of Mr. Gordon Sumner in such a manner. Sure, I've been a fan for almost 10 years ( missed his last show because I only started listening to him a few months AFTER that, aargh ). Since then, I've bought maybe 5 or 6 of his albums, including Mercury Falling, Brand New Day, Sacred Love, The Best Of Sting, and All This Time.

I've also got one of his concert VCDs, but didn't really like it 'cos he kept hitting high notes and sounded a little whiny doing it.

To my very pleasant surprise, his voice was nowhere near Irritating Level yesterday. In fact, he did so well I've developed new appreciation for his music, and am now playing his All This Time CD over and over again in my car. Unbelievable stuff. :)

The Indoor Stadium was filled to the brim with 10,000 fans, ranging in age from pre-teens ( I'm not joking ) to geriatric. Comprising mainly young professionals and a significant number of expatriates ( hence the tight security measures ), it was an extremely rowdy bunch, especially when you consider the fact that Sting is in his 50s ( 53 to be exact ), isn't a conventional rocker ( like Robbie Williams, who drove the crowd wild ), and last visited us about a decade ago ( the music industry is a terribly fickle one, but this show still managed to sell out within a month ).

I was seated to the left of the stage in the tiered section, about 10 rows away from centrestage. Superb view.

Things kicked off 45 minutes late, but we could all care less, judging from the deafening reception. The moment I saw him stroll to the mike and pluck at his guitar, my jaw literally dropped.

Like I said before, Sting is HOT. Tall, lean, and sporting longer-than-usual hair, he was clad in a slightly loose but still flattering dark suit with a white dress shirt. Very simple, with no further costume changes. The stage was equally no-frills -- just the band, giant speakers, and a 360-degree view of the audience ( yes, even the stands BEHIND the group were filled to capacity ).

No pyrotechnics. No elaborate attire. Just an ensemble of amazing talent and 2 hours of phenomenal music. And of course, the VERY HOT STING. :)

He opened with Send Your Love, then followed with a non-stop repertoire including ( just to name a few ) Fields Of Gold, Fragile, Shape Of My Heart, Brand New Day, Desert Rose, The Hounds Of Winter, If I Ever Lose My Faith In You and Never Coming Home.

The audience devoured it all and howled for more ( I kid you not ). 10,000 rabid fans were on their feet for most of the concert, some even head-banging ( to Sting! ), and EVERYONE efforlessly belting out lyrics to classics such as Roxanne and Englishman In New York. The latter, in particular, was very amusing. I was shouting at the top of my lungs, of course, but as I looked around the Stadium and watched my fellow concertgoers ( some of whom were dressed to the nines and very proper in all respects ) rabidly screaming "Whoa-oh, I'm an alien / I'm a legal alien / I'm an Englishman in New York", a huge grin crept across my face, and I joined those sitting around me in raising our arms and punching at the air. ( Shhh, don't tell people at work. :))

Sting's energy is infectious. And boy does he have tonnes of it. This guy hardly broke a sweat during his physically demanding performance, effortlessly carrying difficult tunes, even grooving to the music from time to time ( did you catch those gyrating hips on Desert Rose? Ack! ). Where he gets the stamina, I have no idea. ( Never mind reports about his abilities at Tantric... ahem. :))

For the encore, he obligingly did 4 songs ( but I can only remember 2, thanks to my brain becoming mush after the first 5 minutes, heh heh ) -- there was Every Breath You Take ( naturally ), then A Thousand Years. Personally, I would've loved to hear every single song on All This Time, but I was YEARNING for him to at least do Moon Over Bourbon Street, Mad About You, ( If You Love Someone ) Set Them Free, It's Probably Me, We'll Be Together and Love Is The Seventh Wave. I also have a soft spot for All Four Seasons from Mercury Falling, but it's a really obscure piece, so there's no chance of ever hearing that on a world tour.

Now for the HOT bits. :)

#1: Roxanne
#2: Whenever I Say Your Name
#3: Sacred Love

#1: He already exudes animal magnetism, but when he sang this, it just hit the roof. I was so overwhelmed I can't even describe any of it. :D

#2: A duet with his backup singer, Joy Rose, but matches ( perhaps even surpasses ) the original version with Mary J. Blige. Rose has a powerhouse voice, and her chemistry with Sting is awesome. During the intro, she stood with him and they swayed to the beat. Then, he took her hand and placed it on his chest, tenderly holding it there as he stared at her with a dreamy smile. Yow. Trudie Styler you lucky woman, you. :P

#3: "This song is about sex." -- that's his description of this piece. One of the best songs on his latest album of the same name, Sacred Love boasts lyrics that go: Take off your working clothes / Put on your long black dress / And your high heeled shoes / Just leave your hair in a mess.
With his flawless diction, there was no doubt everyone heard this loud and clear. Bet a lot of guys got some after the concert last night. :)

For a 53-year-old, Sting sure doesn't look it. All those pictures ( magazines, CD / DVD sleeves ) and TV footage don't do him justice. In person, he is GORGEOUS. Not in the conventional sense, but there's just Something there you can't deny, and you get swept up in it and it lingers sensuously like a cloud of fragrant perfume.

Last night's gig was Sting's very first one for 2005, and he told us how thrilled he was to be back here again, even apologizing a little sheepishly for not returning sooner. "I was 24 the last time I came here," he joked, and the crowd cheered for a prolonged period to indicate a warm welcome and complete, unconditional forgiveness.

Rock on, Mr. Sumner!