The first international star to perform on the LDLC Arena stage, Sting was in Lyon for an exceptional evening...

The opportunity was too good to miss. A brand new venue and a legendary artist united for one evening, a magical concert was guaranteed. Indeed, the brand new venue, the LDLC Arena, located in Decines-Charpieu, a suburb of Lyon, welcomed its first international star tonight. It was an opportunity for us to discover this new gem, which had just been inaugurated (on November 23rd). It's a hyper-modern venue, with excellent acoustics, and a capacity of approximately 16,000 people depending on its configuration. For tonight's concert, the show took place in a "seated concert" configuration, in front of approximately 11,000 people.

Unfortunately for us, we weren't allowed to attend the opening act. Sting's son, Joe Sumner, opened the show.

Now it's time for one of music's legends, Sting. As part of his My Songs tour, the former frontman of The Police performed his entire repertoire to the delight of his fans. Once the first two songs had been immortalized, and after dropping off our equipment, we were allowed to continue the concert. Ideally positioned, a few rows from the stage, we were able to fully enjoy the show.

Accompanied by his long-time guitarist Dominic Miller, Zach Jones on drums, Kevon Webster on keyboards, Shane Sager (harmonica), Melissa Musique, and Gene Noble (backing vocals), Sting performed his greatest hits, from "Message in a Bottle" to "Every Breath You Take," a repertoire spanning his extensive career.

Although he no longer possesses the fire of his youth, his voice, his appearance, and his charisma retain a fresh and insolent youthfulness. Despite a few passages with lesser-known songs, which dampen the mood a little, when fans, a bit nostalgic, recognize a song from the first notes, it's magical. Also giving pride of place to his musicians, we think in particular of Brand New Day, where Shane Sager perfectly replaces Stevie Wonder's harmonica, but also the passage where his backing vocalist Gene Noble gives an R&B dimension to the song "Shape of My Heart." Also noteworthy is the excellent father/son duet on the track "King of Pain."

We'll end the evening with the essential Roxanne and the acoustic track "Fragile," a perfect way to end the evening on a sweet note...

At 72 years old, Sting delivered a spectacular performance. Without a doubt, one of the best concerts I have ever had the chance to attend.

(c) meloLiVE