Sting: An artist who still "stings" your interest!

Friday night and we started climbing the slope leading to the ancient Odeon of Herodes Atticus to attend the concert of one of the most important artists of the world's musical heritage, Sting!

The songwriter and singer, in yet another appearance in our country, comes to present some of the biggest hits from his personal career, as well as from his time with the band The Police.

A change to the start time, by order of the artist!

The concert was set to start at 21:00, but as the production company informed us on Friday morning via email, the start time was moved to 22:00 as "it was Sting's wish to modify the timing of tonight's performance at the Herodeion so that the concert would end exactly at 00:00 in order to celebrate his seventieth birthday on stage together with all of you. It will be a symbolic personal moment in the career of a great and award-winning artist, which he will share with us».

So, there was yet another reason to feel lucky that we chose the second night of the artist's appearance in our country, to enjoy and sing along to iconic tracks from a musical journey spanning over forty years! The singer remains in excellent shape, something those of us who watched Sting's guest appearance on the series "Only Murders in the Building", where he played...himself, had the chance to observe.

From father to son!

Shortly after 22:00, holding a guitar, appeared on stage Joe Sumner, musician, singer and the eldest of Sting's six children... For about half an hour he performed, accompanied only by his electric guitar, songs from his personal career, warming up the crowd gathered at the Herodeion.

The wait ended shortly after 22:30. On the stage of a theatre that was half full (due to COVID measures), the slender figure of the artist we all know as Sting appeared, receiving the crowd's warm applause. With a classical guitar he performed solo a track that presumably belongs to his new album, set to be released on November 19th, titled "The Bridge".

A Dynamic Start

The official start of the concert was extremely dynamic and electric! Accompanied by a notable ensemble of musicians (drums, 2 guitars — one of them another of his sons —, keys and three vocals) he performed the song "Message in a Bottle," one of The Police's biggest hits, whipping the crowd into a frenzy. He himself, wearing a wireless headset mic and with his beloved bass in hand, moved freely around the stage, urging the crowd to sing and dance!

What followed was equally captivating. With a playlist that included songs from his entire career, such as "Englishman in New York”, “Shape of My Heart”, “Desert Rose", as well as his time with The Police ("So Lonely”, “Roxanne" and of course "Every Breath You Take"), he enchanted the crowd who had come to experience a unique concert, and created a feeling of nostalgia for the era when these songs were released, which some had the chance to discover in the years of their youth.

Elements that stand the test of time

The voice of Sting remains unchanged over time, retaining the timbre that made him stand out, and his performances at times whipped up the crowd and at times moved them. He himself remains a unique performer, having appeared at some of the greatest concerts of all time.

Shortly after 00:00, and just before the end of the concert, the band, with the crowd's help, wished the singer a happy birthday (October 2, 1951) by singing Stevie Wonder's Happy Birthday, while his wife came up on stage together with 2 more of his children and a huge cake full of candles! A unique moment for Sting, but also for all of us who were there!

In conclusion, this was a concert that fans of the artist's musical journey certainly enjoyed, while many had the chance to discover songs that remain timeless. The Herodeion has evolved into a key player in Attica's concert scene, although concerts like Sting's, that make you want to dance to the rhythm of the songs, I'd rather watch standing up in arenas.

Until next time...

Playlist

Message in a Bottle (The Police)

Englishman in New York

If You Love Somebody Set Them Free

Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic (The Police)

If It's Love (new song)

Rushing Water (new song)

Don't Stand So Close to Me (The Police)

Fields Of Gold

Shape Of My Heart

Wrapped Around Your Finger (The Police)

Walking On The Moon(The Police)/Get Up Stand Up(Bob Marley)

So Lonely (The Police)

Desert Rose

Every Breath You Take (The Police)

Encore 1

King of Pain (The Police)

Roxanne (The Police)

Next to You (The Police)

Encore 2

Fragile