REVIEW: Sting Showcases The Importance Of The Rock Era To Our Culture

The Police ‘Roxanne’ was released 45 years ago. That is how long a lot of us have had Gordon Sumner (aka Sting) in our lives.

In 2023 the Sting setlist spans from then until now with three new songs coming early in the set, preceded with an apology. Sting explained that part of the deal in us hearing the old was having to sit through the new. The new, however, flowed between the old with ease, so much so that I would imagine a good chunk of the audience will be checking out the latest Sting album ‘The Bridge’ today.

Placing a bracket of three new songs was like having a cigarette after sex off the back of the opening trilogy of ‘Message In A Bottle’, ‘Englishman In New York’ and ‘Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic’. Those first three songs were authentication of why we were all there. Three classics at the start of the show, all 30 or 40 years old, every piece iconic, everyone entrenched in our culture.

At 71, Sting is a Rock and Roll elder. Dylan is 81, McCartney 80, Jagger 79, Waters 79, Rod Stewart 78, Elton 75, Springsteen 73. Sting is certainly now part of a limited group of superstars still generating arena level crowds in their twilight years.

The closing run was equally iconic with The Police classics ‘Roxanne’, ‘Walking On the Moon’, ‘Wrapped Around Your Finger’ and (with son Joe Sumner), ‘King of Pain’ and ‘Every Breath You Take’.

Joe Sumner at A Day On The Green 2023 Photo by David Jackson

Sting was also very active with the audience, telling stories of the songs. I had no idea ‘So Lonely’ evolved out of the Bob Marley classic ‘No Woman No Cry’. The second album title by The Police should have been the giveaway. ‘Regatta d’Blanc’ literally translates as ‘White Reggae’. Speaking of hidden messages, Joe’s band’s name Fiction Plane is an anagram of Infant Police.

The Police was such a short but potent part of the Sting timeline with five albums released over five years. Sting’s solo catalogue spans 38 years. ‘My Songs’ is not a greatest hits setlist. Four songs from the middle of this set focused in the 1993 album ‘Ten Summoners Tales’.

As I alluded at the start, there are certain artists who we are privileged to enjoy now. In coming years, a lot of these legends will no longer be performing. While some legends perform in their 80s, very few are still doing it in their 90s. The Renaissance of the Rock era from Chuck Berry, Elvis and The Beatles and Stones through to the last great rock era of Grunge, with Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Nirvana was finite and did not regenerate in the 21st century.

If Harry Styles is the future, God help us all.

Sting setlist 25 February 2023, A Day On the Green, Mt Duneed

Message in a Bottle (from The Police, Regatta de Blanc, 1979)
Englishman in New York (from Nothing Like The Sun, 1987)
Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic (from The Police, Zenyatta Mondatta, 1980)
If It’s Love (from The Bridge, 2021)
Loving You (from The Bridge, 2021)
Rushing Water (from The Bridge, 2021)
If I Ever Lose My Faith in You (from Ten Summoner’s Tales, 1993)
Fields of Gold (from Ten Summoner’s Tales, 1993)
Brand New Day (from Brand New Day, 1999)
Shape of My Heart (from Ten Summoner’s Tales, 1993)
Heavy Cloud No Rain (from Ten Summoner’s Tales, 1993)
Seven Days (from Ten Summoner’s Tales, 1993)
What Could Have Been (from Arcane League of Legends soundtrack, 2021)
Wrapped Around Your Finger (from The Police, Synchronicity, 1983)
Walking on the Moon (from The Police, Regatta de Blanc, 1979)
So Lonely (from The Police, Outlandos d’Amour, 1978)
Desert Rose (from Brand New Day, 1999)
King of Pain (with Joe Sumner) (from The Police, Synchronicity, 1983)
Every Breath You Take (with Joe Sumner) (from The Police, Synchronicity, 1983)

Encore:
Roxanne (from The Police, Outlandos d’Amour, 1978)
Fragile (from Nothing Like The Sun, 1987)

Sting’s Australian tour wraps up today with one final A Day On The Green show in Bowral.

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