Sting: Cheers for the classics...

Sting didn't perform any brand-new material on the Stadtpark stage – much to the delight of his loyal fans, who have been following the British musician for almost a quarter of a century. They wildly waved their neon glow sticks, cheered, and sang at the top of their lungs as soon as they recognized classics like 'Englishman In New York' and old Police numbers like 'Message In A Bottle' and 'Roxanne.' The charming singer and bassist, whose real name is Gordon Sumner, performed them with a top-class band, some of them in a jazzy style. Trumpeter Chris Botti, who frequently accompanies Sting, and keyboardist Jason Rebello, in particular, rightfully received applause. For a good 100 minutes, Sting – in a tight, cheerfully colourful shirt – and his six-piece band presented their successful blend of pop, ethnic music, reggae, rock, jazz, and even a hip-hop interlude.

Despite the 49-year-old musician's lavish throwbacks to his past, tracks from his current album, "Brand New Day," were also included, although even Sting's regulars couldn't yet sing along fluently. This was not the case with his interpretation of the Brecht classic "The Moritat of Mackie Messer," which Sting sang in flawless German. Unfortunately, there was no time for an encore due to the noise regulations for the city park, which stipulate that the concert must end by 10 p.m. at the latest.

In the artist's opening act, Nitin Sawhney performed songs from his current album, "Prophesy"; however, his spiritual soul music received only a moderate response in the city park.

(c) Hamburger Abendblatt by author unknown