Sting’s third Melbourne show saw thousands of people swarming to the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in their finest garb and most expensive perfume to see the gracefully ageing artist clash heads with the epic Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Only having visited Australia last 2 years ago, at the end of 2008, he still managed to sell out all three Melbourne shows with ease, proving that even after an odd 35 years in the music industry he’s still got the goods.
There were a few younger people dotted through the audience, but it was largely an over 40s crowd, excitedly reliving their youth as Sting crash-tackled some of his biggest hits from the last few decades with some of Australia’s finest musicians (and the world’s most eccentric conductor) backing him.
The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra added a very interesting texture to his classics, sometimes outshining the man himself. This was evident in ‘Englishman in New York’ and ‘Russians’. The dazzlingly evocative clarinet in Englishman In New York really made the song something fresh and new, and was one of the highlights of the night. The dramatic intro to ‘Russians’ crashed down in heavy waves. Sting was just able to keep his head above the water though, and fought through the theatrical flood with his unquestionably raw vocals.
Another highlight of the night was the violin, showcased in songs such as ‘She’s Too Good For Me’. The lead violinist was an incredible virtuoso, and was intriguing to watch and listen to. Playing everything from classical to Romaany/gypsy solos, she had the audience applauding her every move.
In between the songs, Sting occasionally had a chat with the audience and told the story behind the lyrics he had written, reminding them that the songs had once meant something to him, even if now he seemed a little bit detached. He came across as a very humorous yet sincere individual, and gave all of his main backing musicians the credit they deserved.
Before the 20-minute intermission, ‘Next To You’ had housewives swooning, and the more vivacious ones up and dancing wildly (and/or bopping awkwardly) to the most up-tempo song of the night. It was a funny, yet endearing sight to behold, though perhaps not for the few children dotted around the place attending with their parents.
Digging in to The Police’s back catalogue, ‘Roxanne’ and ‘Every Step You Take’ were also crowd pleasers, having everyone sing along to the almost foreign sounding renditions of the pop classics. ‘Roxanne’ was a more laid back version than the original, somewhat heavy on violin, and ‘Every Step You Take’ was completely unrecognisable to the audience before he began to sing those famous words.
For the last few songs the whole audience were on their feet, dancing, clapping and singing along en masse as the show came to an end. Sting finished with mega hit ‘Message In A Bottle’, played acoustically. Without the huge orchestral backing he was left unguarded and magnified. The audience lapped it up though, and sung along to every word. Positively glowing as they left the venue, it was obvious that all who attended had a grand night, whether they were going to relive wilder days, going as a social outing, or were simply dragged along by their parents.
Ella Jackson
