Concert Reviews Home Page

July 26, 1996

Deer Creek Music Center Amphitheater - Noblesville, (Indianapolis), Indiana, United States

by JR Colvin on July 27, 1996

The setlist:

The Hounds Of Winter
I Hung My Head
I Was Brought To My Senses
If You Love Somebody Set Them Free
Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
Seven Days
You Still Touch Me
I'm So Happy, I Can't Stop Crying
Fields Of Gold
Synchronicity II
Roxanne
Bring On The Night/When The World Is Running Down...
Demolition Man
Englishman In New York
If I Ever Lose My Faith In You
Every Breath You Take
Lithium Sunset
Fraglie

Note that this is the same set list published earlier from other shows, except that he has dropped "Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot" and "Mad About You" from the set.

Someone mentioned that he had a goatee at a show earlier this week -- he had no facial hair last night.

It was a pretty good show... about what I expected for my first time seeing Sting. I'm glad he sang "I Was Brought to My Senses" since it is my favorite MF song, and if I could change anything I would have him sing "Message in a Bottle" since it is my favorite Police song.

Anybody besides me thinking about seeing him in London in December?

by Bruce D. Falconer on July 27, 1996

I had the opportunity to see Sting in Noblesville, Indiana last night at the Deercreek Music Theater. I went with a few other diehard Sting fans that are good friends of mine. We drove four hours from Chicago to get to the show and arrived in just in time for the opening of Sting's set. The anticipation was swelling within me. I had seen Sting twice before...Once on the Soul Cages tour and once on the Summoner's tour.

I have to say that I was extremely dissapointed with the performance. I have been an avid fan for about five years, but Sting did not live up to his potential last night. I have a list of observations that I would like to make. If any of you feel the need to flame me for my opinions go right ahead...its a free country. I think there are some things that need to be discussed on this newsgroup among the people to whom Sting's music means the most and has a great deal of significance.

Here it goes...:

Sting plays the same set of standard Police and solo tunes on every tour. Not just that...he plays them in the same order on every single night. It is not as if he doesn't have enough material to spice up his show and give it some variance. He has written over a hundred beautiful and meaningful songs that could be used to make each and every show a fantastic, onetime occurrence. Instead, however, he plays the same show with very little variation every night. You think that he would get bored doing the same old stuff all the time. IN fact, he looked bored last night. So did his band. They were just going through the motions up there and not having any fun. It's no wonder...they've played that exact same show about hundred times!!!
Kenny Kirkland can't begin to compare to David Sancious as a performer. I have a great deal of respect for Kenny as a keyboard player, but he has no stage presence. Sancious commonly would come out and kick Dominic Miller's ass while soloing on Purple Haze on electric guitar. The crowd loved it! Things like that do not happen with Kirkland. His playing is based more on subtlety than in your face performing. That may be appropriate in other kinds of music, but not in rock n' roll. I know....I know....Sting claims he is not a rock musician and states that he takes his influences from a variety of musical spectrums. Yes....that's true but he IS a rock musician whether he likes it or not. When you are playing huge outdoor concert arenas, you are playing the role of a rock musician. I don't think he should be ashamed or run from that. Its okay to take your influences from many kinds of music, but Sting needs to make sure he conveys these influences in a meaningful and exciting way in a concert. He failed to do that\ in Indiana last night.
Horn players....fine....I like that sound of a soprano sax too, but these guys were ridiculous. They were good players, but their behavior on the stage was almost embarrassing. They were jumping around and making fools of themselves during really intimate and serious parts of the music. I thought it was in poor taste.
The crowd....I don't know what it is, but for some reason Sting is drawing a lot of older people to his concerts. What the hell happened? Maybe I have been watching too much Police concert footage, but this crowd was terrible. I was the only twentysomething in view. The guy in front of me was a least sixty. I have nothing against the elderly, but I was surprised and dissappointed to see that Sting's fan pool has shifted generations. It makes the concert less exciting for the reason that nobody gets up and dances. A guy in front of me got up started to move around when Sting started playing "If You Love Somebody" and was yelled at and told to sit down! What happened to the time where the crowd would be on its feet for the whole show dancing and feeling the music? Sting actually made a comment at the end of the show, "Thanks for listening!" I think he noticed the lack of energy in the crowd.
Sting used sampled percussion tracks and prerecorded background vocals for large parts of the performance. I hate that stuff. The concert is not live when you use prerecorded material. The tempo of the music is not allowed to change when you use all of the electronic triggers and click tracks. I think that saps energy from the music and dulls the impact of the songs. There is nothing wrong with having the tempo fluctuate as long it gives the music integrity and honesty. Stewart Copeland was great at changing tempos like that. Sting used to yell at him for it, but it gave the music direction. Sting needs a good ass kicking from Stewart Copeland just like in the good old days.
Sting's supporting band has some of the best players in the world. I am a drummer and have admired Vinnie Colaiuta's playing for years. He is the best their is at this style of music. Unfortunatly, Sting's music is so structured when he performs live in concert that it gives the background musicians no room for experimentation or extended soloing (except for the piano solo in "When The World ..."). It is almost Vinnie is locked in a cage and is not permitted to attempt any interesting or new ideas when performing. I think it is a travesty to see such phemonmenal musicians kept in the background as supporting players. Their talents are wasted.
The rap section in the middle of "Englishman In New York" has got to go!

I think that is enough complaining for now. I know that I sound bitter. I am. These are issues that need to be addressed in this newsgroup. I am sick and tired or reading all the brilliant concert reviews on the Fields Of Gold web page. People are such brainwashed Sting fans that they make no criticisms of his music or direction. He is human and makes mistakes too. I think I have pointed out some valid criticisms. If you disagree, then commence flaming me!

On the positive side....Sting did make some interesting changes in the arrangements of Fragile and Synchronicity II.

Thanks for reading this post. I hope that nobody is so offended that flame me with vulgarities. If you disagree with me, please give me reasons why. Thanks.

by Mark E. Sechrist on July 28, 1996

I enjoyed the Indianapolis show as well. This is the second time I have seen Sting. By the way, he DID have facial hair. He played Message in a Bottle during the last tour. I was glad to hear Every Little Thing..

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