Sting in Nuremberg...

"There is no religion but sex and music," sings Sting, the musician with sex appeal, and of course, he doesn't mean it as literally as it says on the red T-shirts at the souvenir stand. The song from which the quote comes is called "Send Your Love," a reckoning with fundamentalists of all stripes. But above all, it's a reference to the incalculable positive consequences of good deeds. Love and music are Sting's remedy in a world full of hate and violence. Simple truths don't necessarily have to be wrong in the face of a complicated reality.

The absurdity called love is at the centre of this enchanting concert evening, both as a private and social utopia. The spectrum ranges from the state of being in love to a spiritual dimension: "When I Fall in Love" is the title of the current album by star trumpeter Chris Botti, whose smooth fusion jazz thrilled the audience in the opening act, and "Sacred Love" is the title of Sting's latest CD.

The collaboration between Sting and Chris Botti, who, by their appearance, could almost be father and son, dates back to 1999, when the trumpeter appeared as a guest on 'Brand New Day'. And even now, the two can be heard together on their current albums. Sting has long cultivated a passion for sophisticated jazz.

In Nuremberg, he presents himself at his best: a casual perfectionist, a gentleman as cheerful as he is handsome, who has recently started wearing his hair longer. Apart from a few phrases in German, Sting doesn't waste many words, but concentrates on his two-hour program with song examples from almost all phases of his career.

There's hardly anything to complain about with the show: The sound is wonderfully transparent, the lighting effects are tasteful, and the video projections are sophisticated, albeit at times quite pompous. The exceptional band, with two drummers, two Black female backup singers, and the outstanding guitarist Dominic Miller, is breathtakingly well-coordinated. And Sting, the singer with the throaty timbre, is in better voice than ever.

The concert ranges from new songs all the way back to the Police days, alternating between melancholic ballads and fiery up-tempo numbers, creating a thrilling atmosphere. Expected highlights include evergreens like 'Englishman in New York', 'Fragile', and the exuberant extended version of 'Roxanne'. The finale is the oriental-inspired 'Desert Rose'. Sting sends the cheering audience off with the reassuring feeling that love is perhaps more than just a song after all.

(c) The Nürnberger Nachrichten by Steffen Radlmaier