Sting – Fields of Gold | BackStage360.com

Joe Sumner

Distinguished musician Sting continues to perform throughout the world, alongside his son Joe Sumner. Sting’s “My Songs” tour offers audiences a splendor of a performance, in which he plays countless pieces he’s written throughout the years. Be it during his time singing alongside The Police, or as a soloist. One of his earlier shows this year, took place inside the Acrisure Arena. Located at Thousand Palms, CA, the groundbreaking arena was built for magnificent performances such as these, and filled with kind staff.

Sumner’s beginning piece was titled, “Looking For Me, Looking For You”. With luminous blue lights shining down on him, many close-ups showcasing his guitar playing were seen on the two screens above. He was overwhelmingly gracious and enthusiastic, asking everyone about how they were doing that night. Briskly, he and his two fellow musicians, a violinist and a drummer, moved into, “Who Do You Love?”

The audience was heavily engaged, repeating lyrics alongside Sumner. His high notes were unspeakably impressive, and he was effortlessly capable in extending said notes. Shortly thereafter, he introduced his band to the many rows of spectators, as far as the eye could see. The arena was overwhelmingly massive. After thanking the audience, he introduced another piece, “You, You, You,” which he said is about you, saying sorry. Off the cue of the violinist, they began, with the drummer maintaining a beat through the usage of shakers. The piece contained a beautiful instrumental portion, played beneath orange lights.

The expressions plastered on all three musicians as they jumped into the next song, “Live Life,” were brimming with focus. Befitting images that matched the lyrics of the song were flashed on the screens, equal parts inspirational and intriguing. Sumner encouraged others to sing along, wanting to hear them.

The night of the performance, Sumner informed everyone that his new album “Sunshine In The Night” was debuting promptly at midnight. The final piece on said album, titled “Jellybean” was his second to last piece of his lineup. The piece was written for his children, who he mentioned missing every night while touring. The piece was accompanied by multi-colored lights, and projections of an illustration on the screen. Said illustration depicted a young girl clad in a yellow dress, dancing among a sea of colors.

Sumner wished everyone an amazing day, before jumping into his conclusive piece, “Hope”. The song got people clapping along with him instantly. The drummer and violinist couldn’t be extinguished, as they were on fire throughout the entire finale. The word “hope” impactfully flashed on the projection screens, and Sumner was adamant on encouraging everyone to repeat after him. They received a standing ovation.

Everyone in the arena collectively rose up from their seats, and cheered loudly at the appearance of Sting. Various spectators were recording from their phones, whilst many others sang along proudly to the lyrics of the opening song, “Message in a Bottle”. Flashing lights shone throughout the entire venue, with the conjoined sound of the harmonica, and the backing vocalists, echoing to the very back of the building.

“Englishman in New York” followed immediately after, cementing Sting’s effortlessly winsome stage presence, one that commanded everyone’s attention. For the longest time, not a single person sat down, instead remaining on their feet to watch in fascination. For this piece, the keyboard was truly sublime. Meanwhile, during “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic”, the bassist and Sting were seen jamming alongside each other while the piece grew steadily louder, causing the audience to jump about excitedly.

In an effort to get the party started, he called out to the crowd, asking them “if you love someone, and if you need someone, what do you do?” Brilliantly, this moved into, “If You Love Somebody Set Them Free.” Before transitioning into “If It’s Love”, Sting spoke about how happy both he and his fellow musicians were to be inside the brand new building. He introduced every one the band members, before sitting to begin playing the guitar, even whistling. The abstract projections behind him further enhanced the aura.

Across his life as a songwriter, Sting has written many different kinds of love songs. He revealed how he feels he has some authority there. He’s been in love, been out of love, had his heart broken, and has sadly broken a few hearts himself. To him, the most disinteresting love song idea is loving someone who loves said person back. He claimed that concept is nice, but it’s also boring. He believes loving someone, and them loving someone else, is interesting yet painful. This segued into him performing “Loving You.”

Sting spoke openly to the audience, about how he’d like to sing a song about his house. He mentioned how he has a little house in the English countryside, but that it’s a little more like a castle. His home is close to Stonehenge, down the hills and toward the south. Surrounding his home are barely fields that shimmer like a sea of gold. When looking at them one day, he thought to himself, “there’s a song here.” “Fields of Gold” carried a fondness through the guitar, and even the smile present on Sting’s face as he sang. Artistic visualizations of a warm sunset, all through an open window, were projected behind him.

One of Sting’s favorite parts on the recording for “Brand New Day” was Stevie Wonder’s introductory harmonica solo. Sting proudly brought up the band’s harmonica player, whom he has known for twenty years. Sting asked how long he has been playing his instrument, to which he answered fifteen years. He stepped into Stevie’s illustrious shoes, performing a phenomenal solo that sounded precisely like Wonder. As the audience sang and clapped along to the rhythm of the piece, the visuals behind the performers captured life within the city. With faces passing by rapidly, and yellow lights illuminating the stage.

“Heavy Cloud No Rain” is a piece about the weather. Sting claimed that you can’t trust the weather these days, especially in the desert. Sometimes, you just want it to rain. As everyone sang beneath glimmering lights of blue and white, there were many notably charming interactions between the vocalists on stage.

As a child, Sting was a massive fan of American country music, with one of his favorite groups being The Buckaroos. When starting off as a songwriter, he attempted to write in that style, for that genre. He joked that there was the problem of authenticity, as he’s from England. Various American country singers have covered his songs, including the likes of Johnny Cash, and Dolly Parton. The eleventh song of the lineup, “I’m so Happy, I Can’t Stop Crying” was sung by Toby Keith, and reached the top of the country charts.

Sting, before performing “Shape of my Heart,” specified how it was about a professional gambler. Said gambler was something of a philosopher, but according to him, most gamblers do become philosophers. It was accompanied by overhead red lights, projections of poker chips and cards, and melodious harmonies. This was promptly followed by the audience standing, eagerly listening to “Why Should I Cry for You?” “Mad About You” began with Sting expressing how he’s not a conventionally religious person, but he has gotten inspiration from the bible. He referenced Samuel 2: 11-26, and King David’s love for Bathsheba.

The dizzying vortex that was the show’s final mashup, combined many of Police’s identifiable songs, into a rapid-fire experience. Joe Sumner returned to the stage to perform, and many spectators head-bobbed aggressively. Enthusiasm skyrocketed to an all time high, with the drums growing intense. These songs included, “Walking on the Moon,” “So Lonely,” “King of Pain,” and finally, “Every Breath You Take.” The audience begged for even more, resulting in an encore performance of “Roxanne” and “Fragile.” Sting’s tour continues for the remainder of the year, and shows can be located at https://www.sting.com/. To listen to Sumner’s newest album “Sunshine In The Night”, visit https://www.joesumnersings.com/.