Rock in Rio - The night of requested albums...

Rock in Rio-Lisbon had its most enchanting farewell. Anastacia, Sting, and GNR gave a true recital. 65,000 people were there for the farewell. Until 2008!

Sting's legendary and captivating voice, Anastacia's empathy and tears, and GNR's "forever ours" songs contributed to the perfect end to the 2006 edition of the Rock in Rio-Lisbon Festival on Sunday night.

Sting repeated what he had done two years ago and returned to sing the songs everyone had been waiting to hear, his own and the Police's. Anastacia shone with an emotional performance and a spine-tingling voice, and GNR reviewed their career with a truly memorable performance (even bassist Jorge Romão must have spoken more yesterday than at all the group's other concerts combined). "This almost feels like a night of requested albums. Just think of a song and it pops up," commented Rita Antunes, who came from Odemira with a friend to see Sting and was also captivated by Anastacia and GNR's performances.

It was 9:30 PM when the American singer took the stage. Received in apotheosis, Anastacia offered, quite possibly, the most empathetic show of this year's Rock in Rio. For an hour, she walked through the crowd, talked, laughed, made others laugh, danced, seduced, called a middle-aged, white-bearded fan to the stage who kissed her on the mouth, cried several times—once while clutching the Portuguese flag—and demonstrated her voice, perhaps unparalleled in the current world of pop.

In front of 40,000 people, Anastacia opened with "Paid My Dues" and closed with "Left Outside Of Love." In between, he made his mark, especially when he performed songs like "Rear View," "In Your Eyes," "Heavy On My Heart," and "Dream On." Moved, she kissed the national flag and said goodbye with the promise to stay to see Sting. "I'm your fan, right?" 1," he confessed. By then, the natural amphitheatre at Bela Vista Park already held 65,000 people.

After a day of intense heat marked by the audience's indifference to the bands that played before 9:30 p.m., it was with Sting that the festival reached its peak. Many in attendance still remembered the memorable show from two years ago. "I hope it's as good or better, especially because this year I convinced several friends to come with me, and I hope he doesn't let me down," said Sara Veloso, 32. The fact is, with a repertoire like his, Sting rarely puts on a bad show. Let's see: 'Message In A Bottle' (opening), 'Walking On The Moon', 'Faith', 'Englishman In New York', 'Roxanne', 'Magic', 'Fields Of Gold', 'Desert Rose', 'Every Breath You Take', or 'Fragile' (closing).

On a night that emphasized the Police's past and songs, the audience always followed Sting's every breath, every chord, and every verse until the very end. Fragile? What? Every little thing the musician does remains magical.

GNR was tasked with closing the festival. There were still fears that the group might stay playing for the stars, but the truth is, no one budged. Celebrating 25 years of their career, Reininho and company couldn't have had a better gift: 50,000 people. They performed, among others, "Asas," "Efetivamente," "Dunas," and "Sangue Oculto" in an intense, vibrant, and destabilizing (in a good way) show.

Marcelo D2 and Corinne Bailey Rae also performed on the World Stage on Sunday, when the sun was still high and the audience was less interested in listening to music. Both, however, left good recommendations. Beautiful music and good songs. Let's hope for their return.

Sting said goodbye, and the lights came on at the World Stage at 12:36 AM yesterday. The giant screen gave voice to Luís Felipe Scolari, showed the highlights of Euro 2004, and a Portuguese flag waved over hundreds of heads.

More than 50,000 people sang the National Anthem, followed by Nelly Furtado's popular song "Força," with thousands of red and green pieces of paper being thrown into the crowd. These were probably the most chilling moments of Rock in Rio-Lisbon.

One to remember later. Rock in Rio-Lisbon 2006 "was a success far beyond expectations," says Roberta Medina, the event's general director.

"We had a daily average higher than in 2004, which exceeded our expectations," she told CM. Financially, the festival was a success in every sense, and "the proof is that we want to return in 2008," she commented, without, however, disclosing figures. Rock in Rio 2006 was attended by approximately 350,000 people (over the five days combined), 80 percent of whom paid. Roberta also highlights the crowd's behaviour and atmosphere. "It was a very calm festival.

Only on Friday was there a more serious case of a young man overdosing, but otherwise, the injuries on the field were mostly sprains, headaches, or dehydration. "On the first day, for example, with 90,000 people, there were only 300," she noted.

The last day of Rock in Rio was dedicated to the more romantic crowd. The VIP area was filled with people of all ages, and it was considered a day for couples.

Among them, the CM met the Minister of Health and his wife, António Correia de Campos and Gilberta Dantas, who drew attention. "It was my first time at the festival and I'm very impressed. The organization is well-established," the Health official added, showing himself to be a lively and fun person.

Correia de Campos also said he chose the last day's line-up because it was the one he most identified with. "I came on purpose to see Sting, whom my wife and I really enjoy," he confessed, adding: "It was the right day for me to come, because the groups have songs more suited to my age group. I was told it was the day for the 'quotas,' even though there are a lot of young people here helping to liven up this beautiful venue," he concluded.

(c) Correio da Manhã by Miguel Azevedo/Helena Isabel Mota

Last Day of Rock in Rio: Welcome to the Past

The last day of Rock in Rio was one of the least attended of the festival (if not the least attended), with attendance closing at 50,000. After the Red Hot Chili Peppers' spicy party the day before, the contrast in flavour was evident. The final set lacked spice, but the party was done: Marcelo D2 opened, Corinne Bailey Rae pleased, Anastacia seduced, Sting confirmed his status, and GNR blew out the candles.

After the fireworks and some encouragement for the national soccer team, GNR took the stage for what could have been the best concert of the night, had the attendance not been reduced by half (you could watch the show from the front rows). But, unlike fellow Porto native Pedro Abrunhosa, whose performance time was cut short when he closed Rock in Rio 2004, GNR had time for their celebration. The only hint of sadness was the reference to Raul Indipwo, who passed away that day. Otherwise, it was a concert at GNR's best, with Rui Reininho displaying a fine vocal form we don't usually experience live.

There's no new material, but there's an anniversary to celebrate. A 25-year career can accommodate a lot. Songs like "Popless," "Friday 6th," "Ana Lee," "Efectividade," "Sangue Escondido," "Bem-vindo ao passado" (with NBC, as a reminder that there's a CD out now, "Revistados," in which hip-hop pays homage to GNR), "Dunas," and "Sub-16." It was a rare and delightful trip down memory lane. For the time being, a DVD recording is promised for the future.

The past was also the hallmark of Sting's performance. Punctually and suddenly, he took the stage and launched into "Message in a Bottle," the first track of a show modelled after the one he performed here two years ago. It may seem like an exaggeration, but the similarities are greater than the differences. At the first edition of Rock in Rio Lisbon, he was also the last international star on the bill. As for the line-up, it shuffled and delivered more of the same. That's not a bad thing; it's what's expected, accepted, and taken home with the smile of someone who (heard) exactly what they wanted.

The singular presence of Gordon Summer (aka Sting) and his unbeatable professionalism disguised an autopilot show (just like the one two years ago), which took the form of yet another testament to his permanence in pop music history. The main difference from 2004? Yesterday, he met half the audience. The word "success" was once again the key to the show, whether it came from the Police era or his solo career. He played songs like "Walking On The Moon," "If I Ever Lose My Faith In You," "Englishman In New York," "Spirits In The Material World," "Shape Of My Heart," "Everything She Does Is Magic," "Fields Of Gold," "Roxanne," "Desert Rose," "Every Breath You Take," and, to finish, "Fragile."

Before the respected and much-revered Englishman, a "made in the USA" diva like few others performed: Anastacia. After bringing 17,000 people to the Atlantic, he renewed his vow of dedication to his fans. The most die-hard fans arrived early in the morning to secure a spot close to the stage. Patience and devotion would be rewarded. Anastacia walked the aisle in the centre of the audience, sang along with the front row, gave high fives, accepted gifts from fans, joked, and was moved by the wave of warm reception. One of these fans, who introduced himself as Freaky, would be even luckier. The singer called this "big daddy" onto the stage. "How old are you?" she asked. He whispered something in her ear and concluded: "Too old. But never too old to be an Anastacia fan."

Moments earlier, Anastacia had picked up a Portuguese flag, which she used as a makeshift skirt. She lost—gained?—so much time with the fans that she almost completed the planned line-up. Against the organizers' orders—"they'll have to drag me by the neck"—she singled out her strangely dark and ultra-powerful voice for "Left Outside Alone." It was the perfect shot at a package of MTV-format hits like "Paid My Dues," "Not That Kind," "Heavy On My Heart," "One Day In Your Life," and "I'm Outta Love."

Light years away from Anastacia's curves, voice, and insinuating banter was Corrine Bailey Rae. After a June 3rd evening spiced up with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, this late afternoon had a very bland atmosphere. Wearing a red dress with white polka dots, she appeared like a kind of pretty ladybug with songs about Prince Charming (or the one who disenchanted her). She was in good spirits, smiled a lot, and even recalled the guitar band she was part of, Helen, with a Led Zeppelin cover of "Since I've Been Loving You." The rest of the song is folk-soul in chill-out, intimate mode, fertile ground for smiles. It's simply pleasant and doesn't even risk crossing the line into inconsequentiality. You heard "Put Your Records On" live, but it could have been a radio playing.

The opening act was Brazilian Marcelo D2, with his blend of hip-hop and samba, with touches of funk and reggae (Bob Marley was mentioned). Once again, my brain is in knots trying to understand choices like this for the main stage. Without new material since 2003 (the year of "À Busca da Batida Perfeita") and without a notable fan base, their presence is only justified, at most, by the many Brazilians who attended Rock in Rio until the very end.

That was the last day of the self-proclaimed biggest music festival in the world. The next edition will be different. Yesterday, at Parque da Bela Vista, mentor Roberto Medina announced that the 2008 festival would be held simultaneously in Lisbon and another European city, whose name he declined to reveal. But Spanish newspapers have already broken the news: Madrid has been chosen to host the City of Rock. The dates set for Lisbon are May 30th and 31st, with continuation on June 6th, 7th, and 8th.

(c) 2006 Público by Silvia Pereira