How Sting Exceeded All Expectations...

On Monday, June 10, the legendary 17-time Grammy Award-winning singer and composer Sting (72) performed at the Tartu Song Festival Grounds. The concert was held as part of Tartu as the 2024 European Capital of Culture and attracted ten thousand people.

The first major artist of the European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024 was Sting, who performed at the Tartu Song Festival Grounds in 2024 with a special concert called “My Songs”. This continued his world tour, which has captivated audiences across the USA, Europe, Asia, the UAE and Australia. Sting’s concert “My Songs” is a lively and dynamic performance that includes his most beloved hits and covers his brilliant career both as a member of The Police and as a solo artist. The concert will feature beloved songs such as “Fields of Gold”, “Roxanne”, “Every Breath You Take”, “Message in a Bottle”.

The selection of songs really included everything from beloved songs to newer creations. However, the audience was most drawn to older songs like “Shape of My Heart”, “Fields of Gold”, and “Englishman in New York”.

Sting has been bringing great, high-quality music to the masses for decades, so there is no reason for anyone to doubt his musical abilities, but one must still remember the human limitations that often come with age. 72-year-old Sting, however, seems to be one of those artists who, despite his age, can still bring nothing less than a totally perfect performance to the stage. His stage presence, vocal abilities and ability to connect with the audience were admirable. The man showed no signs of fatigue throughout the concert, and although the focus is of course on his work, it must also be noted that the man looked great. His form, both physically and vocally, was ideal. How many artists can say the same after a career spanning decades? Having previously only watched and listened to Sting's work and his live performances on the internet, I can honestly say that the live performance exceeded all my expectations.

I knew I was going to hear an incredibly capable and talented artist, but even artists who meet this criterion can often fall short of or simply fall slightly short of the studio-recorded versions at a live concert. In the case of Sting, the opposite was true; his vocal and technical performance was on par with what was recorded in the studio, and his added emotion made the concert thoroughly enjoyable.

The band members must also be praised here. There were only three of them on stage - vocalist Sting, drummer Chris Maas and guitarist Dominic Miller - but they managed to completely conquer the stage and the hearts of the audience. Sting has worked with Miller for a long time, and this fact was clearly reflected in the Tartu concert, there was complete understanding and harmony between them. Drummer Maas is younger, but he is no less capable and his experience is not short either - he has played drums on the Mumford & Sons tour, among other things.

A big thank you to the organizing team as well. The sound was excellent. I've been to quite a few big concerts, but yesterday's was definitely one of the concerts with the best sound I've ever been to. Nothing was overpowering, but everything was clearly audible, the low and high sounds were all in place, the bass was smooth. Sting had his own sound team with him, which is actually common for world stars, especially considering the fact that they are currently on tour. I personally think that was one of the reasons why the sound was so good. When a sound team familiar with the artist and his work is present, it is also clear how and what exactly to set up.

However, we must also praise the Estonian team from Live Nation, who organized the press area and other arrangements. When talking to them, one of the representatives also explained to me why the limit of ten thousand people was set, although in reality the Tartu Song Festival Grounds could have accommodated more listeners. The reason was safety, which must be the most important thing. Indeed, we felt comfortable, because the area was not so densely packed with people that we could not move, so in addition to safety, it was also the right decision in terms of the comfort of the guests.

The only criticisms in this review go to the smokers. The event information (at least initially) stated that it was a smoke-free event, but people still puffed dully among the crowd, which, by the way, also included small children. Just unpleasant and ugly. Perhaps the problem could have been solved with a special smoking area? Unfortunately, I did not see this at the event, whether it was not there or was it well hidden, I do not know.

All in all, it was a very cool concert experience. We hope that great artists will find more and more opportunities to come to Estonia. Thank you, Tartu, thank you, Sting!

(c) TV3