Sting slowly thaws Uelzen...

How does a global star like Sting actually pronounce the place name "Uelzen"? This question remains unanswered, even after his only open-air concert in Northern Germany. Because on Tuesday evening, Sting didn't mention the word Uelzen. Instead, he greeted the audience with snatches of German. "Good evening, everyone," said the now 65-year-old, as befits a polite "Englishman." Sting refrained from resorting to a contrived charm and entertainment offensive in Uelzen. Instead, he focused on his music this evening. And it resonated with his fans. If you listen to the Uelzen crowd, many rave about how they've been loyal to Sting for decades and used to follow him with his band The Police.
 

After four opening songs, including "If I Ever Lose My Faith In You," Sting introduces his son, Joe Sumner, to the Uelzen crowd. Although the singer/songwriter has already performed as the opening act, he now speaks again. "My dad's a little tired," says Sumner with a wink. Considering Sting is supposedly tired this evening, he tirelessly delivers a mix of hits from days gone by and songs from his new, twelfth solo album, "57th & 9th." His son Joe is currently touring Europe with his father and will be making an appearance in Uelzen. At times, Joe's voice sounds just like Sting's. Both play guitar, and Joe also impresses with his harmonica.

With seats directly in front of the stage, it's a tricky situation. For those who treat themselves to a seated ticket, it seems to be a comfortable experience. But the spectators standing in the separate area behind the stage are unlikely to be motivated to move much by the sight of seated people. And so it takes exactly eleven songs for Sting to lure the Uelzen seated audience out of their shell and send out his "SOS." To the sounds of "Message In A Bottle," everyone rises and dances to the rhythm of the well-known hit by The Police. When asked why it took so long for people to dance directly in front of the stage, one audience member simply replies: "That's just how we Uelzeners are..."
 

What didn't look like it at the beginning of the concert has now become a familiar sight an hour later: A few young adults repeatedly jump up and down, while around them, people in their mid-fifties and mid-sixties dance, tightly embraced. Those watching the concert from the side rows have already been moving for some time. A few men wearing black T-shirts with "57th & 9th Tour" written on the backs are milling about.

One song is also a must in Uelzen: "Roxanne." While Sting sings the line "You don't have to put on the red light," the stage glows in red. Around 9:30 a.m., the sun disappears over the horizon. Meanwhile, heavy rain clouds hang over the open-air stage, but the weather gods remain kind: Sting and his fans aren't expected to get wet today.
 

As an encore, he plays three more songs, including "Every Breath You Take." As the first visitors head toward the exit, they are surprised to hear another encore, "Fragile." This fits Sting's style: He sends his fans home not with rock, but with melancholic, thoughtful tones. And while Sting sings that the rain will keep falling, his fans are grateful that it's not falling from the Uelzen sky today.

Promoter Ulrich Gustävel is very pleased with the evening. Even before the concert, he described Sting as the "crowning achievement" of Uelzen's "Open R" history. While around 12,000 tickets were sold for Elton John's concert last year, Sting's sold about 3,000 fewer. However, this is also due to the fact that Sting is gracing Uelzen on a weekday, rather than on the weekend like Elton John.

(c) NDR by von Ina Kast