Goosebumps in widescreen: Sting in Unterpremstätten...

Captivating: Sting with his band and orchestra at the See-Rock Days in Unterpremstätten. The former Police leader proved that his compositions can also captivate in an orchestral setting.

The former Police leader Sting proved that his compositions can also captivate in an orchestral setting. Solo pieces like 'Englishman In New York' and 'Fields of Gold' unfold in a wonderfully beautiful arrangement. A particular highlight was 'Moon Over Bourbon Street,' which Sting not only sang, but practically celebrated. A truly goosebump-inducing performance. The completely new interpretation of 'Roxanne' succeeded in breathing new life into the Police classic.

During 'Next To You,' Sarah Hicks conducted the Hungarian Dohnanyi Symphonic Orchestra so vigorously that she lost her baton. Incidentally, Sting doesn't tour with a permanent orchestra; instead, he hires a (semi-)local orchestra for almost every performance. 'Every Breath You Take' was, of course, a guaranteed hit. The enthusiastic audience couldn't stay in their seats (seated at the front), while the fans in the standing-room section also sang along. Afterward, the audience was treated to a fiery, oriental bombastic version of 'Desert Rose' and the thoroughly rocking 'She's Too Good For Me'.

Sting didn't just perform his compositions, he truly narrated them – using his charming German skills. Solo parts from various orchestral musicians, as well as some solos from his long-time guitarist Dominic Miller and the outstanding singer Jo Lawry, made the concert, presented in two halves, extremely entertaining. The brilliant finale was the Police hit "Message In A Bottle," which Sting performed intensely without orchestral accompaniment. It's just a shame that, unlike last fall's tour, there were no video walls this time.

© Kleine Zeitung