Rock Paper Scissors – Two Englishmen in Quebec via New York and Solsbury Hill...
Whether a meeting of the musical masterminds or just a playful boys’ night out, the Rock Paper Scissors tour that brought British rock icons Sting and Peter Gabriel to the same stage made for a hell of an opening night for this year’s Festival d’été de Québec.
The much-anticipated collaborative concert kept the crowd clapping for close to three hours, as Sting and Gabriel traded stage time or teamed up on some unexpected – and not always successful – duets from their respective repertoires.
By the time the tour made its way to Québec City on Thursday, with a stop in Montréal just two days prior, the set list was one of the worst-kept secrets on the Internet. Still, those who managed to heed the spoiler alert in hopes of walking onto the Plains of Abraham with fresh ears and eyes could not have been disappointed.
Though inspired by a similar collaborative effort Sting undertook with Paul Simon in 2014-2015, this was a well-orchestrated tour de force that proved the charismatic former Police frontman can still command a capacity crowd – and Gabriel is no Garfunkle.
From the haunting, tribal rumble of Rhythm of the Heat when the lights went up, right through to the bombastic pop of Sledgehammer in the encore, Gabriel left no doubt that the theatricality and powerful and distinctive voice that have served him well in his decades-long post-Genesis career have hardly waned with his advancing years.
Not so his slender physique of yore, which he made the butt of a joke delivered to the crowd in French, read almost flawlessly from a script on a clipboard. It was the same joke heard earlier in the tour, in which Gabriel, who in recent years seems to have taken to dressing in loose-fitting, dark-hued Dr. Evil leisure suits, self-deprecatingly compares himself to the buff, yoga-enhanced Sting. The punchline: the crew now finds the two indistinguishable, calling them “the Tantric twins.”
Sting, too, delighted the locals by sticking largely to the language of Molière when addressing the crowd.
But this event was not about banter; it was about what can happen when two titans take to the stage together and riff on each other’s music as well as their own. Thus, after following up Gabriel’s Rhythm with his own Faith, Sting joined in on the third song of the night, the more obscure No Self Control, setting the tone for the back-and-forth format that was to be followed for the remainder of the evening.
At times, the result was close to phenomenal, as when Gabriel almost shocked the crowd with a slow, sultry, almost spoken-word rendition of If You Love Somebody Set Them Free, from Sting’s 1985 debut solo outing, The Dream of the Blue Turtles.
Sting failed to Shock the Monkey, however, as his take on one of Gabriel’s best-known early pop hits fizzled. He managed to light the spark again later on, giving his own groovy spin to Gabriel’s bouncy Kiss That Frog.
Sting was unquestionably at his best when belting out his own beloved hits, backed up by bandmates of long standing such as guitarist Dominic Miller, whose considerable chops were used to full effect on numbers like Driven to Tears. Even more impressive was the virtuosity of Sting’s young violin player, Peter Tickell, whose soaring solos would have set even Ashley MacIsaac and Nash the Slash packing up their bows and calling it a night.
Did we mention the nostalgia factor? Aside from one new Gabriel song, Rock Paper Scissors is a show that goes deep into the back of the vaults of both artists, which is just what the crowd likely came to hear.
For some, the songs may not have gone back quite far enough, as the only nod to Gabriel’s Genesis days was a snippet of Dancing with the Moonlit Knight, which Sting sang as a segue into his own Message in a Bottle.
Though the set design was minimalistic, limited mainly to big screens, lighting and fog machines, Gabriel’s theatricality was always bubbling just below the surface, though it too paid homage to the past. The choreography around songs like the crowd-favorite Solsbury Hill has not changed since 1994’s Secret World Live tour. Nor has much of Gabriel’s band, which is all for the better. After four decades by Gabriel’s side, bassist Tony Levin is almost as much of an icon as the man himself – and well loved by Québec fans who have also given him a warm welcome when he has visited as a member of King Crimson.
It was a treat to see Sting and Levin share a stage, both being accomplished bass players with vastly different styles. More fun was seeing one defer to the other, as was often the case with Levin taking a seat in the wings to clap along with the crowd whenever it was Sting’s turn to take the spotlight.
As much as the audience showed their appreciation throughout the show, saving perhaps their loudest and most sustained applause for a great Sting-Gabriel rendition of Englishman in New York, it was the players themselves who seemed to be having the most fun of all.
So though uneven at times, opening night of the 2016 Festival d’été de Québec has set the bar fairly high for the 10 days of shows to come. To these two Englishmen in Québec, we say, “Well played, gentlemen, well played indeed.”
(c) Life in Quebec by Michael Bourguignon
Sting, Peter Gabriel at peace in Quebec music festival...
So who's bigger, Peter Gabriel or Sting? In a business full of towering egos, the two rockers seamlessly shared a stage as they opened Quebec City's sprawling summer music festival.
The two English artists - who were born 18 months apart and, in different ways, trailblazed fusion elements in pop music - essentially turned into a duo as they politely alternated between each other's hits.
Accompanied by a dozen backup musicians on what the festival calls North America's largest self-supporting stage, the pair played for an estimated 75,000 people Thursday night on the wind-swept Plains of Abraham, a former battlefield in the heart of the historic city.
Sting and Gabriel, the former frontmen respectively of The Police and Genesis, are not strangers to each other, having toured together in the late 1980s to benefit Amnesty International.
The human rights focus was still on the minds of the artists, who are spending the summer across Canada and the United States on what they call the "Rock Paper Scissors" tour.
Gabriel, who repeatedly addressed the audience in hesitant French as he read a text from a clipboard, dedicated his song "Love Can Heal" to Jo Cox, the pro-European British lawmaker who was assassinated on June 16 before the country's vote to leave the European Union.
The singer had befriended Cox through human rights advocates before the Labour Party politician's election to parliament. Gabriel said shortly after her death that Britain had been "robbed of a potential leader."
Gabriel, sporting white stubble at age 66, has been a pioneer in championing music from the developing world but for his tour has focused on his pop solo hits, albeit with an infusion of Sting's influence.
Swedish singer Jennie Abrahamson teamed up with Gabriel for the inspirational "Don't Give Up," originally a duet with Kate Bush, in a performance so emotionally resonant the vocalists embraced with seeming spontaneity.
Sting was the more experimental of the two in concert, adding a bluesy touch to the Police hit "Roxanne" which he transitioned into the Bill Withers classic "Ain't No Sunshine." He brought a cheerier rock feel to "Every Breath You Take" - the final song until the pair closed with Gabriel's "Sledgehammer."
(c) AFP by Shaun Tando
Sting and Peter Gabriel...
Though their recent run of dates was given the name "The Rock Paper Scissors Tour," Sting and Peter Gabriel's headlining slot at Festival d'été was more about collaboration and reflection than individual looks at their catalogue. Gabriel's backing band wore red while Sting's wore blue, and the two seasoned stars delivered on their promise of musical exploration and experimentation Thursday evening (July 7)..
The collaborative nature of the tour delivered some of the more interesting results of the set. At times, Sting and Gabriel would swap vocal duties on verses — or entire songs — of each other's material: Gabriel handled a good portion of the lead vocals for Sting's "Fragile," while Sting took the reins on a sleeker rearrangement of Gabriel's "Shock the Monkey." Now both in their mid 60s, their voices were still very much in fine form and complemented each other more nicely than many might think in moments of harmony.
"Shock the Monkey" wasn't the only track that got a bit of a facelift. Sting led the bands through a rework of the Police's "Drive to Tears," its reggae tendencies almost entirely pushed aside to feature a prominent violin solo. Gabriel reworked Sting's solo hit "If You Love Somebody Set them Free" to remove the urgent nature of the original, opting for a blues-rooted arrangement in its stead.
Of course, there were plenty of hits that made an appearance too. Gabriel's "Red Rain" remained just as powerful live as on record, while a three-song run of his other So smash "Big Time," Sting's "Englishman in New York" and Gabriel's "Solsbury Hill" pleased the crowd. Even a tease at some Gabriel-era Genesis was worked in, with Sting singing the opening lines of "Dancing With the Moonlit Knight" before launching into the Police classic "Message in a Bottle."
The enjoyment that Sting, Gabriel and their bands were getting from the evening was palpable, all smiles in driving right through to the finish with powerful renditions of Sting's "Desert Rose" and Gabriel's "In Your Eyes," setting the crowd up for a blowout encore of the Police's "Every Breath You Take" and Gabriel's "Sledgehammer," the latter of which saw the two Englishmen bust a few dance moves at the stagefront.
(c) Exclaim by Calum Slingerland
Sting and Gabriel: Memorable!
To open the 49th Quebec City Summer Festival, the organizers turned to two veterans whose proposal, dubbed Rock Paper Scissors, was full of promise. There's no doubt that promise was fulfilled on Thursday on the Plains of Abraham: Sting and Peter Gabriel delivered a polished show, which shone as much for its precise performances as its elaborate packaging.
The two stars must have been a little unlucky. The only outdoor performance of their joint tour was greeted by inclement weather. While it was chilly, the rain stayed away, and this made a big difference to the festival-goers: the Plains were very full.
It was Gabriel who had the honour of opening the show with "The Rhythm of the Heat." It was immediately clear that the machine behind him was perfectly oiled. The piece kicked off the concert with force and subtlety. Then, Sting appeared for a flawless rendition of "If I Ever Lose My Faith In You," showing his colours with a blue leather jacket. The two clans did indeed have distinct hues: red for Gabriel, either through clothing or lighting, and blue for his opposite number's team.
It's not like it was some kind of confrontation, but rather a healthy competition, which led both teams to surpass themselves. After each had taken turns, the frontmen teamed up on songs like No Self Control and Shock The Monkey. The ex-Police member also took on a Genesis track that has certainly not gone unnoticed by Quebec progressive fans: Dancing With the Moonlit Knight. Peter Gabriel, for his part, covered If You Love Somebody Set Them Free in a soulful, slowed-down version that was incredibly well done.
To deliver the material, both groups brought together high-calibre instrumentalists such as guitarist Dominic Miller, bassist Tony Levin, and violinist Peter Tickell, who was dazzling during Driven To Tears - a mini camera slung over his shoulder made it possible to capture every bit of his skill. And what about backing vocalist Jennie Abrahamson, who provided a truly excellent response to Gabriel during "Don't Give Up"?
Obviously, all this talent would have been less appreciated if the two stars hadn't been in great vocal form. In this regard, at 64 and 66 years old respectively, Sting and Gabriel - whom the latter had renamed the Tantric Twins! - were undeniably in good voice.
In total, there were some 14 musicians and backing vocalists on stage, and the performances were never overcrowded. All these wonderful people knew when to pick up their instruments and when to keep them quiet.
Sting and Gabriel made it their honour to address the audience in French throughout the evening. They also regularly indulged in more nuanced passages. At times, such as during "Fragile," where Dominic Miller took over the double bass and Sting the six-string, it was truly successful. Later, after Sting had captivated the audience with an excellent "Roxanne" featuring a sweet, jazzy segment, Gabriel dove into "Love Can Heal," which would undoubtedly have worked better in a live setting, as the fans' attention had waned. But this is the only criticism that can be made of this excellent concert, where projections, real-time image processing, and sometimes even choreography enhanced the performances.
With the essential encores of "Every Breath You Take" and "Sledgehammer," we were treated to no fewer than 26 songs over a two-and-a-half-hour performance. A memorable opening, the likes of which we haven't seen at the FEQ in a long time.
(c) Le Soleil by Nicolas Houle
Sting and Gabriel rock out at the FEQ opening...
From the outset, the encounter between Sting and Peter Gabriel promised to be a musical delight. Adding to this high-level performance, the Plains of Abraham, packed despite the cold, made for a memorable opening night for the 49th Festival d'été de Québec (FEQ).
Without a shadow of a doubt, the FEQ delivered the most impressive kick-off in its history last night when these two British rock legends agreed to stop in Quebec City to present their joint tour, Rock Paper Scissors.
Backed by 12 high-calibre musicians and backing vocalists, Sting and Gabriel delivered polished renditions of their greatest hits, each taking turns dipping into the other's repertoire.
As in Montreal on Tuesday, the "tantric twins" made sure to address the crowd in French. Peter Gabriel joked that he had taken up yoga, following Sting's example.
Despite a flying start with beautiful versions of "If I Ever Lose My Faith" and "Shock the Monkey," it took a good 45 minutes for the crowd to thaw, precisely when Sting launched into an excellent "Message in a Bottle" after teasing Genesis fans with a few lines from "Dancing With the Moonlit Knight."
Sting was more engaged, less static, than during his visit to the Plains in 2009. The interaction with Peter Gabriel, himself at ease on stage, gave him wings.
The duo sometimes left the spotlight to their companions, which allowed violinist Peter Tickell to shine during "Driven to Tears." The vocal communion between Gabriel and backing vocalist Jennie Abrahamson on "Don't Give Up" also sparked.
Although yesterday's set was two songs shorter than the arena version, just about all the classics from their solo careers and, in Sting's case, a few tracks from The Police filled out a generous 26-song program.
Judging by the audience's reaction, it was mainly hits by Sting and The Police that resonated with the nostalgic crowd, as evidenced by a sung-in-unison rendition of "Englishman in New York," as well as "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic," "Desert Rose," and "Every Breath You Take."
Solsbury Hill, also perfectly rendered, managed to bring the crowd back to Gabriel. He dedicated "Love Can Heal" to Jo Cox, the British MP murdered in the wake of Brexit, before Sledgehammer brought the performance to a dazzling close.
(c) Le Journal de Quebec by Cédric Bélanger
Peter Gabriel and Sting inaugurate the FEQ 2016...
British singers Sting and Peter Gabriel took over the Plains of Abraham Thursday evening for the opening show of the 2016 Quebec City Summer Festival.
The two singers, each with a successful career, shared the stage as part of the Rock Paper Scissors tour, which stopped in Quebec City after performing at the Bell Centre in Montreal on Tuesday evening. One might have feared a battle of egos, but the former Genesis member and the former leader of The Police instead drew from their respective repertoires to create a joint performance.
At the beginning of the evening, the clans were clearly defined on stage. Red light for Peter Gabriel, blue for Sting. What Peter Gabriel called "the red team and the blue team." But the two teams quickly merged as one artist borrowed a piece from their colleague's repertoire or lent their voice to one of their pieces. Like when Sting offered an energetic version of Shock the Monkey, or the languid cover of If You Love Somebody, Peter Gabriel version.
After an introduction with Peter Gabriel's "The Rhythm of the Heat" and Sting's "If I Ever Lose My Faith in You," the two men stepped forward to exchange a few jokes - in French, please! Peter Gabriel poked fun at his own physique alongside the ever-svelte Sting. "After a few power yoga sessions," the ex-Genesis member said, "we're now called the 'Tantric Twins,'" a reference to Sting, who once boasted of being able to make love for hours thanks to tantricism.
The camaraderie seemed evident between Peter Gabriel, 66, and Sting, 64, who previously teamed up in the 1980s on a tour for Amnesty International.
The duo had cut two songs from their Montreal set two days earlier, for a show lasting over two hours and a total of 26 songs.
Sting has drawn freely on his repertoire from the Police era (Message in a Bottle, Driven to Tears), while Peter Gabriel revisits Genesis less frequently.
Among the memorable hits were Red Rain, Solsbury Hill, Englishman in New York, and Roxanne (in a stunning medley with Bill Withers' Ain't No Sunshine).
A moving moment of the evening, Peter Gabriel performed Love Can Heal, his new composition dedicated to British MP Jo Cox, murdered by a Brexit supporter.
The duo finished warming up this cold evening on the Plains with the ballad "Every Breath You Take" and the powerful "Sledgehammer."
(c) Le Huffington Post by Patrick Bellerose
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