As I'm sure you know, Sting just finished playing three concerts in Israel. Yours truly went to all three. (Yes, I know, but I was not the only one that crazy). For once, jetlag has stood me in good stead - I only came back from the US Saturday, so staying up late watching a concert, then driving home, then writing notes, was easy. And sleeping late the next day is "always" easy.
Anyway, what I did was write down every night my experiences at the concert of that night. I just could not mail them. But I will now, so you'll be getting notes written without foreknowledge of the concerts to come. Just as if I "could" post them on time. Enjoy (or, at least, don't suffer too much),
Sting's second concert in Israel was on Monday, September 19, 1994, at 9:30 PM, in Zemah - on the shore of the Lake of Galilee, near Tiberias.
This venue is the lawn of a large water-sports park. It holds maybe 10K people, tho there are no clear limits to the "arena". This time there was no "privileged" space in front of the stage, only about 1.5 meters in front of the stage fenced off for photographers and security. The stage itself was 2.5 meters high. You can do the geometry yourself, but what it basically means is that a person pressed up against the fence can see Sting and Dominic from the knees up, David's head, and not a single sign of Vinne. Nor can they see the changing backdrop.
From that description you can understand that I did manage to get up to the fence this time. I was first at the gate, long before it opened, and headed straight up to the stage. I stood 10" to the right of Sting's mike, close enough to see every drop of sweat (and, boy, were there many! It was hotter and more humid than the previous night), every flicker of expression on his face. Heaven! I didn't care about seeing the backdrop, or Vinnie, my eyes were glued to Sting.
I think his voice was not as perfect as the night before. It broke on a high note once (and I could see his grimace at that), and he didn't try to scream or hold notes quite as often - tho he did a few. I say I "think" his voice was imperfect, because I can't be sure. At the spot I was standing, I could hear the audience much better than the band. The speakers were parallel with the stage, and I was between them, while the whole audience was screaming directly at my back (and the slight bowl shape of the arena helped focus the sound). So while I can't be sure of Sting's voice, I can tell you this about his audience: they know the songs well. There were only the mistakes one can expect (which showed up in Jerusalem, as well): they tried to sing "Roxanne" faster than the band played it (not really a mistake, the band was playing it slower than it was recorded), forgetting the "let me say this first" in IIELMFIY, lengthening the wrong repeat of "shape" in "that's not the shaaaape of my heart", and the wrong "on" in "my love for her goes on" (Every Little Thing She Does is Magic).
This time there was an opening act - an Israeli singer called David Broza (who also works and records in the US. You should be able to find an album of his in ordinary record stores). He does vaguely Spanish-style things with an acoustic guitar. His performance lasted 45 minutes, after which it took another half hour to get the stage ready. I can't imagine why: I mean, when I got there, 4 hours before show-time, I could hear the band rehearsing and soundchecking. And this Broza guy only had a stool and an extra mike for his guitar. It's not like they had to tear down and rebuild the whole stage. Anyway, for "Fragile", Sting called this guy back up on stage and let him play rings around him. Really. Broza started showing off, then looked to Sting for permission, and Sting told him to go on! The resultant "jam" took most of the solemnity out of "Fragile", but it was refreshing.
Sting spoke even less in Zemah than he had in Jerusalem, if that's at all possible. The same "good evening", the same "how are you?", looking dissatisfied with the reply, "how are you?" again, look like it's good enough. I wonder what would happen if somebody could get an audience to keep quiet on that second "how are you?" instead of screaming louder....
The set list was, of course, the same as before. However, I'm pretty sure the solos do differ. Especially in the BotN/WtWiRD... I could see Sting wearing a look of intense concentration, listening to David, shaking his head and frowning as if to say "I don't know what you're playing, man" - and then grinning and nodding and shaping an "oh!" with his lips, clearly saying "OK, I got you now". David was looking at Sting with a kind of expectant smile, like a teacher setting a puzzle for a prize pupil. I guess this is some sort of game they play, varying their solos and letting the others catch up. But why they must do it in the same setlist is beyond me. Surely they can learn a few more songs well enough to enable fooling around in them?
Another thing that varies is the "Devil's Monologue" in "St. Augustine in Hell".
I noticed Dominic getting his share of screams. Apparently, many girls think he's quite a hunk - tho how they can even tell what he looks like with his hair always down his face, I don't know. Still, strutting around the stage with his shirt open, it's not very surprising. (Sting, on the other hand, had on the same long-sleeved knee-length dark blue tunic, over black corduroy tights, and still wouldn't take it off. I heard someone comment that he looks like a pregnant woman in that outfit).
Trudie was there again. As soon as the photographers cleared the pit (about 3 songs into the show), she came out and sat there until the last encore. Watched the whole show. You'd think she'd be bored sick by now and prefer to spend her time in the airconditioned hotel.
Right after the second encore, the whole band ran to their limos like they were being chased, and were out of there before the last echo faded. I suppose that's reasonable, considering the traffic (the Israeli promoters wouldn't spring for a chopper), but still... Makes the whole encore thing fake, if nothing the audience does can make the band come out a third time. (And almost nothing, short of booing or leaving en masse, can stop the band from coming back twice). It's just part of the script: At this point, say "how are you" and pause for screams; at that point, get off the stage, pause 1.5 minutes for applause, come back for next song.
Anyway, I enjoyed this concert more than the previous one. I was not rushed, I was _that_ close to Sting and could see what was going on, I sang and screamed my throat raw, I jumped 'til my feet hurt. And knowing which song was coming is not as disappointing when you're not expecting variety - it's like listening to a favorite album, the "here it comes" feeling.
Set List: see Jerusalem show.
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