Life is fleeting, and humans are but a speck in the vastness of time and space. This reality again struck Filipinos when floods caused by typhoon "Pablo" swept away precious lives merely a few days before the Manila leg of Sting's "Back to Bass" tour. Thus Sting's last song was a fitting way to pay tribute to the victims. "Tomorrow's rain will wash the stains away, but something in our minds will always stay," Sting sang, compelling the Araneta Coliseum to at least subdued excitement out of respect for the dead. The solemn lyrics of 'Fragile', which speak of mortality, violence and war, capped a memorable concert punctuated by the performances of musical greats such as drummer Vinnie Colaiuta, who Sting candidly referred to as "possibly the greatest drummer in the world," Sting's longtime guitarist Dominic Miller, violinist Peter Tickell (who also played the mandolin), vocalist Jo Lawry, and keyboardist David Sancious...

The man’s still got it. That is, that intangible factor that separates regular musicians from living legends. Long ago, the man born Gordon Sumner cemented his superstar status by amassing one hit after another in a career that has spanned decades. And even after taking a long sabbatical from his rock persona - choosing to pursue symphonic and new-age projects in his time - at the HKCEC in his return to Hong Kong with his Back to Bass tour, Sting showed that, after all this time, yes... he's still got it. Pulling the expected double duty of singer and bassist, he performed a host of his classic monstrous hits permanently etched in our brains both from his early days with The Police and as a solo artist. Backed by a five-piece band, including a rocking violinist, he kicked off the night with 'If I Ever Lose My Faith In You' and 'Every Little Thing She Does is Magic', followed by an all-hit roster stuffed with tunes that have stood the test of time...