Wavy surface...

Well, what does he want now? Since 1978, Sting has been begging a certain 'Roxanne' to please stop wearing that sexy dress, going on the streets, and so on. And then this: On the stage of the Frankfurt Festhalle, a stripper skilfully undresses down to her bra, garter belt, and high heels – two colleagues in similar outfits had previously writhed around gleefully on the three-part stage screen. Sex, rediscovered? The 53-year-old's X-th spring? 'Sacred Love' – the title of his current album – not sacred, but something to be snatched up? Oh my goodness, Sting! Something's not right here.

The appearance of 'Karolina,' as she is introduced after her expressive dance, isn't the only ambivalent moment of the evening. Sting 2004 at the Festhalle: Is this even a rock concert anymore? The majority of the audience was over 30, sophisticated and reserved, appreciating what was being offered. And it was certainly something to listen to: the seven-piece band, including the frontman, played confidently, confidently across all styles, and with a joyful sense of playfulness. It's worth listening to. The sweating, however, mainly occurred on stage; the hall was dominated by relaxed enjoyment, arms crossed or hands in the lap, no sign of "rocking out." After a stressful week at the office, school, or workshop, that's fine, too.

But let's remember: Sting and the Police once stood for uninhibited swinging for some, or at least for nervous butt shaking for others (men), who supposedly couldn't because they had to hold their beer. That those days are over is, of course, due to the music Sting makes today – and which clearly dominates the first part of the concert. The band, dressed in understated black, allows the sophisticated arrangements of songs to flow smoothly into one another, and Sting's voice, also dressed in fine attire, still retains its smoky timbre. Images flicker across the screens: moonlit landscapes, sunbeams breaking into the darkness of a forest, the gently undulating surface of a lake. All very beautiful, very harmonious – but also a little bloodless. And so the audience cheers when the first bars of the Police hit 'Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic' ring out – this shows where the Police's spirit came from. And during the soulfully intoned ballads 'Fragile' and 'Fields of Gold,' lighters even light up.

But things really get going on stage and in front of it later, and also with older songs. "Be yourself, no matter what they say," the audience chants the message of the 'Englishman in New York.' And then, finally: 'Roxanne,' expanded into a medley of Police classics, giving the band a chance to let loose. 'Desert Rose,' a foray into world music with Rai singer Cheb Mami, is a rousing soundtrack for more or less successful attempts at belly dancing, before all sorts of cryptic symbols appear on the screens for the closer, 'If I Ever Lose My Faith In You.' They leave the audience a little perplexed - like the entire concert.

(c) Frankfurter Rundschau by Erhard Lachmann