First:
As always, this is long. If you don't want all the little details, read the next sentence and then delete. *The show was great, the set list is the same as Cupertino, Sting wore the same pants.* That's the review in a nutshell. Now, if you want the juicy tidbits, read on.
I want to gush, and haven't been able to. My husband really doesn't care about this kind of stuff. The only thing he asked me was if Billy Francis was hitting on me. (my husband is jealous of my Sting infatuation.)
My reviews don't focus so much on the music, as they do my experience. I always think Sting sounds great, and I love every song (OK, except for I Hung My Head) and I'm not a music-theory person, so I don't focus on this note or that tempo, or this drummer or that drummer. I just write about what excites me personally.
To start: the Arlington Theatre in Santa Barbara, Calif. has absolutely NO security in the back of the venue. It shares a parking lot with a Vons (a Calif grocery store.) There were little old ladies pushing shopping carts around and college students zipping in and out of the parking lot with cases of beer. I got there about 4:30 p.m. (concert started at 8). Lots of crew members milling around. I was the only fan. I basically got to walk everywhere the crew was among the semi-trucks and big cases of equipment. For instance, I stood about 2 feet from Miles as he handed out black Sting tour fleece jackets to band members like Chris. There was some security near the back door to go backstage, but if I'd really wanted to, I probably could have gone in. The reason I didn't - Sting wasn't there yet, so why push my luck?
The greatest part - I recognized Billy Francis (the tour manager) from the VH1 show. So I walked up and introduced myself. I'd heard he was kind of a jerk, but he was pretty nice to me considering I'm just some fan who was hanging out 4 hours early. We talked about the Vegas show and the tiny stage and other bands he's worked with. He asked me what I was waiting for. I told him that I just wanted to shake Sting's hand and maybe get a picture with him. Billy said, *You should have been at the airport.* Doh, why didn't I think of that! Billy commented on my eyes (I wear green contacts and sometimes they look SUPER green.) A few minutes later, I went up and talked to him again and asked about the rumor of Stewart joining Sting at one of the LA shows. Billy laughed and said no and added, *If you know that, you know more than I do.* He DID say that the LA show on the 29th (the one I'm going to, thank you Dawn!) will be filmed for some kind of TV special.
So, about 15 minutes later, the van with Sting and the back-up singers pulls into the parking lot. I was the only fan there! Sting gets out about 8 feet away from me. I had my camera, but I was kind of hoping he'd look my way so I could make eye contact and ask for a photo with him. So I didn't put the camera up to my eye, so I didn't take a picture. Sting looked kind of rushed (he was late for the sound check) and I am not the kind of person who is going to rush forward and fawn all over someone without an indication they are willing to spare a minute for a fan. Sting and Billy went inside.
A few minutes later, Billy came back out and walked over to me. *You missed your chance for a photo,* he said. +You have to be more aggressive.* I said, *I'm just not that kind of person.*
Billy left and went into one of the tour buses. He came back out and gave me A BACKSTAGE (AFTER SHOW) PASS!!!!! and said *Here, after the show, come back for a minute and maybe you can get your photo then.*
Alas, Sting left immediately after the show (he was whisked away in a Mercedes, I was told) and there wasn't any kind of *backstage* thing. However, the pass got me close to the stage door where the band members were coming out. There were only two other people there with passes - they were from an on-line guitar magazine and had interviewed Dominic earlier in the afternoon.
I have now talked to every band member except Manu Katche and (of course) Sting. Jason Rebello was particularly nice during our brief conversation; he's the one who told me Sting had already gone. To Kipper, I said *Hi, Kipper, how are you?* He gave me this great, warm handshake and said, *I'm sorry, I don't remember who you are?* I felt so bad that he thought he knew me. I said, *Don't worry, we haven't met, I just wanted to tell you I really enjoyed your work on the album* etc. I think because I was walking around with everyone, he thought I was someone important. As Cheb walked out I said, *Nice job, Cheb.* He didn't even look at me - I forgot, he doesn't speak English!
Aswad opened for Sting. (British reggae band.) They were quite good. (I got to talk a little with them, before the show, too.)
I had an AWESOME seat. It was second row on the right, but it may as well have been front row because the way the seats are set up, there was no one in front of me. The set list was the same as Cupertino. I miss *I Was Brought to My Senses.* I love that song. But I must say, I like Every Little Thing... better than Big Lie. Sting talked about the earthquake in Vegas and messing up on 7 Days three times during the second show there. SAME PANTS!!!
I was sooooo close to the speakers that the sound wasn't good. I'm sure it was just my closeness and the sound was better for those further back.
Lots of people stood up to dance right about the time of Englishman. During the one verse of Bring on the Night, Sting motioned for the people up close to move in closer to the stage. Of course we did. The sound was terrible (the speaker was 2 feet from my head), but it was worth being that close. I was still far right of center, but I was right in front of the stage! During the FANTASTIC jam on When the World...Sting was at the very edge of stage LEFT. A woman climbed up on stage to dance with him. Since she was just kind of dancing while he played, the security didn't bother her. Then another woman got on stage and started *dirty dancing* on his leg (give me a break). Sting wasn't dirty dancing back (I mean, he had to play the bass) but it was a *bump and grind* kind of thing. Then about 5 more women got up on stage and that's when security nicely put them back down in the audience. WHY AM I ALWAYS IN THE WRONG PLACE??!!
Anyway, Sting came down to my end of the stage and stood right in front of me (and others) and played!!! It was mind-boggling. He didn't stay long, but I was in heaven. After the first encore, he shook hands in the front row and I got to shake his hand as he ran by.
Sting's voice sounded high and strong. Wait till you hear what he does with "Moon Over..." sounds like you're in a smokey jazz club. He's still ad-libbing some lyrics. Only one person sitting near me was singing the new lyrics. I love the CD version of Desert Rose, but the concert version is faster and with a more rock beat and I like that a lot, too. Cheb came out to sing with Sting. He's opening in LA, Billy Francis told me.
The place was packed, but it only seats about 2,200. Seems that even at $110 and $90, people will pay to see Sting. Lots more people danced and got in the aisles than in Vegas. Sting was congenial with the audience and seemed in a good mood.
Again, Chris' trumpet playing *fits* with the music much better than in the TV appearances and he got lots of applause. The set is pretty plain. I think he's re-using the long pieces of material from Mercury Falling. During Moon Over... these weird big orbs (moons?) come up and glow. They look more like street lights on steroids. I couldn't figure out what they were supposed to be.
It's worth going just to hear When the World is Running Down! Oh, before the show, I saw a masseuse (with her table) go inside. It had to be for Sting (who else?). Lucky masseuse!
Well, I'm sure I'll think of more tidbits to add.
Hope you enjoyed my little *review* that really isn't a review.
The santa barbara concert was phenomenal. I got my camera in no problem (I did not even think of bringing a camera until all the inquiries were made on the list). I had bad seats (the cheapest tickets were 90 before tm taxes and charges) but people were rushing the stage throughout various songs and eventually I just managed to get to the foot of the stage towards the end of the concert and got many pictures in (with flash... I did not really mean to use it, it was an automatic and I couldn't turn autoflash off)... before the security guards gestured for me to put it away. so depends on the venue. As for the set list; it is the same as the Cupertino one - no change. Four women on the other side of the stage did manage to climb on stage and dance with Sting (the stage hands let them dance for a good couple of minutes before pushing them off.... so those of you brave enough in future concerts, there is a precedent... go for it!) and Sting to make it up to our side came over and shook his behind. Very entertaining.
I did get to shake sting's hand when he reached over at the end of the concert to shake hands with the audience. And I think all of the other band members, I stopped registering after I realized that I just got touched by Sting (my friends were all laughing at me when they read my post concert email.)
The best part of the concert was when he played Fragile on guitar standing literally right in front of me (I always have that memory...) so it was definitely worth my drive from LA to Santa Barbara by myself in traffic for 3 hours and since it is my first Sting concert. well...I am in heaven.
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