Sting in Bordeaux, a full-throttle concert...

The Arkea Arena was sold out this Tuesday, October 22, 2019, with over 11,000 people for the arrival of English rock star Sting, former frontman of the legendary band "The Police."

Currently on tour, and after several French dates (Lille, Orléans, Paris), Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner, his real name, arrived on stage with his left arm in a sling following an accident and surgery the day before. As Omar Sy so aptly put it in the French film The Intouchables: "No arm, no chocolate." But, in this case, it was his bass guitar that the English icon would have to do without during the two-hour concert retracing his career.

And what a wonderful career this 68-year-old singer has had, having achieved success and fame in the late 1970s. Right at the beginning of the concert, he shared with us the genesis of his biggest hit, "Roxanne," before performing an acoustic version that really showed off. The concert promised to be spectacular, and it certainly proved to be. "Message in a Bottle" was the second song to win over the audience (if necessary), followed by tracks from his solo career.

The 20-song concert was divided into eight hits from his legendary band, eleven from his solo career, and his recent duet with Shaggy (If You Can't Find Love).

The concert also reminded some of Sting's more "reggae" years. After the famous "Every Breath You Take," the singer with the unique voice returns for three final songs before letting the Arkéa Arena empty of an audience completely charmed by the concert. The crowd is unanimous, the concert lived up to expectations. Sting continues his French tour with Nantes and Lyon.

(c) Bordeaux Gazette by Loïc Cousin