Sting and Paul Simon deliver pop history up close...

At the sold-out O2 World, Police frontman Sting and Paul Simon of the duo Simon & Garfunkel demonstrate how well they complement each other. The wealth of hits is impressive – and the cheers are frenetic.

They have lived in the same New York apartment block for 25 years. They are not only neighbours, but also close friends. But it was only a little over two years ago, after performing together at a benefit event, that Paul Simon and Sting came up with the idea of touring together. The pop legends have been touring the world intermittently for a little over a year now, and after their sold-out concert with 12,500 people on Monday evening at the O2 World, it's clear: This was one of the best ideas the two have ever had.

After all the mega-shows at venues like the Friedrichshain multi-purpose hall, one might almost have forgotten that pop is about the music, about songs and feelings. It's about that one catchy melody, that one heartfelt lyric. You don't need gigantic LED screens and standardized choreography to move an audience. It just takes good songs that stand the test of time. And Paul Simon and Sting have created a whole lot of those.

Which isn't to say that the two musicians don't put in a lot of effort. They've combined their two bands into one. As a result, they have up to 15 musicians supporting them on more than twice as many instruments. No easy task for the sound engineer. The lighting is sophisticated and technically at the highest level. And the hit potential is enormous.

They open the evening together with Sting's rich, horn-driven "Brand New Day," followed by Paul Simon's percussively pulsating "Boy In The Bubble." Sting, now sporting his hair again and a hipster beard, is the raspy-sounding counterpart to Simon's crystal-clear voice. They are driven by an almost irrepressible joy of playing. They conjure memories with their songs that have shaped generations. And they have more in common than meets the eye.

Both began meteoric careers with their first bands. The American Paul Simon in the 1960s with the duo Simon & Garfunkel, delivering hits like "The Sound of Silence" and "Mrs. Robinson." The British Sting in the 1970s with the Police, delivering classics like "Roxanne" and "Message in a Bottle." Both later launched successful solo careers. Both are characterized by a great curiosity for world music, which is reflected in their music. And both landed a veritable flop with a musical on New York's Broadway. Simon in 1998 with his ambitious "Capeman," Sting last year with "The Last Ship."

"Welcome to our little experiment," says Paul Simon in greeting. They've thrown two bands together and added the repertoire of two songwriters. The experiment has audibly succeeded. It's like attending an exuberant session. Much seems incredibly spontaneous, even though both musicians leave nothing to chance. Again and again, they sing together, then each gets space for their own pieces. Like Sting with the Police hit "So Lonely" or his solo hit "An Englishman in New York," infused with reggae lightness. Or Paul Simon with "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover," with its legendary drum beat. Or the African ju-ju guitar-driven "Graceland."

On Simon & Garfunkel classics like "Mrs. Robinson" and "The Boxer," Sting takes on the second vocals without attempting to replace Art Garfunkel, Simon's former partner. Simon and Garfunkel's liaison ended in 1972, but it repeatedly led to comebacks, such as the 1981 concert in front of 500,000 people in New York's Central Park. The following year, Simon & Garfunkel gave a legendary concert at Berlin's Waldbühne. Since then, however, the two have gone their separate ways. Art Garfunkel is currently touring Europe with a solo program.

Sting and Paul Simon complement each other perfectly. This concert series is a labour of love for them. Actress Jeanne Moreau once said, "Aging people are like museums. It's not the façade that counts, but the treasures inside." How apt. These agile older gentlemen display treasures in abundance. However, this evening doesn't feel like a museum for a moment.

The 63-year-old Sting, whose bass seems older than he is, demonstrates his versatility on songs like "Walking On The Moon" and the Arabian-inflected "Desert Rose." He mixes "Roxanne" with Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone," and sings Simon & Garfunkel's "America" alone alongside guitar. 73-year-old Paul Simon, for his part, surprises with a jazz-influenced version of "Still Crazy After All These Years" and once again brings the hall to life with the New Orleans zydeco smash "Me and Julio Down by the School Yard," complete with accordion and washboard.

The band, including ace musicians like keyboardist David Sancious, guitarist Dominic Miller, and drummer Vinnie Colaiuta, gives the pieces a new shine with impressive arrangements and plenty of solo interludes. There are solos on tuba and English horn, African drums are used, there are wild outbursts on the violin, and jazz-rock excursions on the piano. The stylistic diversity is impressive, even if the sound sometimes becomes a bit muddy when the instrumental mix is used in such a concentrated way.

The evening at the O2 World marks Sting's first return to the stage after a severe bout of flu. The concerts in Krakow and Prague had to be cancelled at the insistence of his doctor. Thus, Berlin became the kick off of his European tour, which will visit 32 more cities. During the encore, Simon & Sting also perform Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water." Only "The Sound of Silence," the duo's biggest hit, remains unheard. For nearly three nonstop hours, Paul Simon and Sting play their way through their musical legacy. Pop history at your fingertips. The applause is frenetic.

(c) Berliner Morgenpost by Peter E. Müller