Before a full house, Sting and his five-piece band were on top form, playing a two-hour set drawing equally from his solo work and back catalogue with The Police. There were new arrangements of Next To You, a catchy Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic and thoughtful Every Breath You Take, Sting and co rendering amazing rearrangements, with fiddler Peter Tickell playing a couple of great solos. He also traced the soprano sax parts of Fortress Around Your Heart perfectly, ably assisted by Jo Lawry on violin/backing vocals. Add the father/son guitar duo of Dominic and Rufus Miller, along with drummer Vinnie Colaiuta (ex-Jeff Beck), who had Stewart Copeland’s drumming down to a tee, and it was glorious.
Sting doesn’t get the credit he deserves as a singer and songwriter, but he’s showing no signs of age, the 60-year-old hitting the high notes. And from beginning to end, he had the crowd singing along to hit after hit, finishing with the classic Message In A Bottle. It’s not only rainforest folk he makes happy.
