Bumping along with Sting...

Sting's tour, which kicked off in March of this year with two concerts at Paradiso, Amsterdam, is on its last legs in Europe. And it shows. Not that the English singer-bassist is sagging musically, but his drive is gone. The spark is still burning, but only thanks to a professional automatism.

In that respect, his performance was at odds with that of his opening act, Soraya. This Colombian-American singer and guitarist, who recently made a convincing debut with the album 'On Nights Like This,' set herself and her accompanists on fire to leave a lasting impression. She combined a sensual voice with accented guitar playing, linking her passion for her music to the sometimes folky, South American origins of her ideas. Soraya received—certainly in terms of programming—a thunderous applause in return. And rightly so, because her compositions are well-crafted, and although the album is sometimes a bit too dreamy, the stage performances, thanks to playful, instrumental accents, acquire a more lively soundscape. Soraya thus proves to be a talent worthy of attention.

The big question for Sting was what happened to the material after ten months in the spotlight. The most obvious move seems to be that, to combat boredom, he started improvising vigorously, at the very least shifting the musical emphasis. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Sting plays Sting as Sting recorded it. Well, not quite. By now, such a routine has developed that the accents have worn out of the music. Like a well-oiled machine, he, along with his expert accompanists, moves through the repertoire. Without leaving anything for the audience to admire. But who cares? Actually, no one. After just fifteen minutes, the mood is high, and the Statenhal in The Hague is happily bouncing along to the rhythms of Sting's material.

And when the Englishman chooses his ballads, most of the audience moves on to hug his beloved. A refreshing break comes when he invites two audience members (Nils and Brigitte) onto the stage to sing along to "I'm So Happy, I Can't Stop Crying." After that, the atmosphere loosens up even more, and he plays, among other pieces, "Roxanne," which has been restyled thanks to Clark Gayton's trumpet solo. But while the composition once excelled at Pinkpop thanks to Sting's enormous drive, now he keeps it afloat with his professionalism. That's a good thing, but when the sacred flame burns, he's more satisfying.

(c) Haagsche Courant